Close to home
by dances.with.sunflowers
Summary: Something in his eyes told her, it was always you. [SasuSaku. Blank period. Bonus chapters to come.]
1. Chapter 1

This story is already written with 8 chapters and 37,000 words. It takes place during the blank period between _Naruto_ and _Boruto_. I'll post a new chapter every Thursday night. Enjoy. :)

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Close to home

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"The Council wants to tear down the Uchiha district."

Kakashi sat with perfect composure as his words echoed inside the Hokage's Office. For a moment, Sakura and Naruto stood stock still, unable to reconcile the message with the delivery. Naruto was the first to react.

"Are you kidding me?" he exploded. "If this is some kind of ploy to get back at Sasuke, he is out there trying to protect the village—"

Kakashi looked dolefully up at the ceiling, as he often did when questioning his decision to become Hokage. "Naruto," he tried to explain, "it has nothing to do with getting back at Sasuke."

"—and now they're trying to tear down his family home?" Naruto threw his hands up in frustration. "This is bullshit, Kakashi! How can you let them do this?"

A long pause followed.

"If your little outburst is done," Kakashi said pleasantly, "then I'll continue. The Council wants to tear down the Uchiha district and build more public housing. Right now the district is uninhabitable and violates more than 50 housing codes."

"But—"

"I'm not finished, Naruto. The Council is arguing that, because Sasuke has left the Uchiha district to decay, he has forfeited his right to the property, and now it's a matter of public concern."

Naruto slapped his hands on the Hokage's desk in outrage and barreled back with arguments.

Sakura stood quietly behind him, occupied with the single image in her mind of Sasuke as a child, running home in time for dinner.

She finally cut in. "So if Sasuke paid to clean up the district," she interrupted, "then the Council can't tear it down?"

Kakashi swatted Naruto's hands off his desk and papers. "Yes, that's right," he responded, still shooing Naruto away from the mess he created.

"Do we know where he is? Can we ask him?" she said.

"The last message we received from Sasuke was a month ago in Cloud. At the time, he was headed to Sand."

"I'll track him down, don't you worry, Kakashi-sensei!" exclaimed Naruto, now full of bravado. Papers of official Hokage business were still fluttering to the floor from his previous outburst. "With my shadow clones, I'll find him in no time."

Kakashi lifted his eyes back to the ceiling. "Aren't you headed out for a mission with Yamato," he reminded lightly. "Right now, as a matter of fact?"

"Oh," Naruto laughed, looking down at his flak vest. "Forgot about that. I got a little caught up."

Kakashi leaned back in his seat. "It should be fine. We can ask our friends in Suna if he's come through. He would have checked in with Gaara."

Sand was only three days from the Leaf. Sasuke hadn't returned to the village in two years, not once, but she couldn't stop her foolish heart from racing at the idea. She tried not to think it, but the words came to life of their own will, tempting, blistering.

 _What if he was finally ready to come home?_

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A week later, Sakura hastened into the Council room, yanking off her white doctor's coat and tossing it onto a bench in the hall. She ran here from the hospital during her lunch break. She took a moment to steady herself, slipped through the door, and sat quietly in the back.

Today the Council would decide how to handle the decaying Uchiha district.

With Naruto on a mission and Kakashi busy with Hokage meetings, Sakura didn't have nearly as much information on Sasuke and his whereabouts as she would like. She only knew that, yet again, he did not return to the village. But Kakashi was able to get in touch with him, and that's what mattered.

"Moving on to the topic of the Uchiha district," Lady Koharu began. She screwed her eyes together as she read through the Council's agenda. She was a small, grand old thing, in some ways as old as the village itself.

Sakura strained to get a better look from her seat on the floor. She cursed her height in situations like these where every other ninja in the room sat taller than her.

"The Hokage has explained the situation to Sasuke Uchiha, the only living heir to the Uchiha estate."

She leaned forward.

"And Sasuke has refused to answer."

Sakura felt her stomach drop. _What?_

Lady Koharu spoke with absolutely finality as she said, "If a man can leave his family estate to decay, and not bother to answer an official Council request, then he has forfeited his right to the property. We will begin the demolition of the district in one week."

"You can't be serious!"

Sakura froze at her unexpected outburst. Everyone turned to stare at her. Recognition passed over their faces, as Sakura had become a well-known figure in the village for her successes at the hospital, as well as for her role in the Fourth Great Ninja War. They looked expectantly at her. Sakura rose to her feet, feeling the awkward, heavy silence of the room.

"Please forgive me, Lady Koharu," she apologized, bowing. Rudeness would certainly do Sasuke no good here. She took her time raising her head, buying time to figure out what to say, how she could help. But in the end, she opened her mouth to speak passionately and impulsively, and simply hoped for the best.

"We don't know why Sasuke didn't give a clear answer," she began. "Maybe he didn't have time to respond. I'm sure he didn't think the Council wanted to move so quickly."

Lady Koharu shook her head. "My dear, his total lack of concern—"

"If we just wait a few more weeks, I'm sure we can get a reply," Sakura pressed, full of feeling.

Lady Koharu was not a woman without sympathy. Her expression softened at Sakura. Everyone in the village knew that both Sakura and Naruto defended Sasuke at every opportunity. And the village had learned to accept that Sasuke wanted to right his wrongs. But that did not change the matter at hand. In all her years on the Council, Lady Koharu had firmly believed that the group must outweigh the individual. She was not likely to change her mindset now.

"I'm sorry, but the timeline is set," she replied. "The odds of reaching Sasuke before next week are very low. The entire district is a hazard and eyesore to everyone around it. The Council cannot allow the district to remain as it is."

Sakura felt sick all over. Naruto was gone. Kakashi must have thought there was nothing they could do without Sasuke. She hated decisions like this. All her life, she excelled in books and rules, white and black. If Sasuke didn't give Kakashi an answer, then he must not care. But how could she believe that? How could he not care about his childhood home?

And what gave her the right to interfere?

Sakura hesitated, then replied, "It won't remain as it is."

"What do you mean?"

"Let me start the repairs this week," she pleaded, gaining resolve. "We'll start to fix the perimeter walls, and we'll close up the entrances. We can begin the work while we wait for a response from Sasuke."

Lady Koharu raised her eyebrows. "Are you sure, Sakura?"

She knew in her heart that—wherever Sasuke was, whatever he thought, however he felt—she couldn't stand by while other people made the decision to tear down his home.

"I'm sure."

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Later that day, Sakura was not sure.

"What have I gotten myself into," she sighed, standing outside the Uchiha complex and contemplating the crumbling walls. The Uchiha emblems, spaced out every few yards, stared back at her, silent and imposing. She couldn't believe the complaints that kids would run through here. How anyone could summon up the courage was beyond her.

After a while, Sakura finally passed through the entrance, walked through the first street of houses, and surveyed the damage.

Not as bad as they said, she thought. Sure, they looked abandoned. They _were_ abandoned. She was certainly no expert in construction, but the walls looked strong enough. But as she continued to walk, she spotted a few roofs that had fallen in. She peered into a window, squinting through layers of grime and dirt for a glimpse of molding floors. Every now and again, she would look through a broken window and gaze curiously at the dusty furniture inside. Bookcases stocked with hardbacks and board games. Dishes in the sink.

Sakura stopped dead in the middle of the street. The eerie silence of the district swallowed her.

I can't do this, she said over and over again in her head. This was not right. She had no right to be here, to be seeing the family photos on the wall, some crooked, some fallen to the floor.

Sakura nearly turned around to find Lady Koharu and say that she changed her mind when the sound of shattering glass cut through the silence. Sakura jolted and careened around the corner to find two kids crunching through broken glass to pick up a ball.

"You shouldn't be here," she sputtered, stunned. "Go!"

They didn't need any prompting from her. They immediately scrambled through the nearest alley back to the main entrance.

Sakura stared at the broken window, fixated on the ragged, splintering edges and the scattered shards on the ground. If she did nothing, the Council would tear it all down and leave a gaping hole where someone's home should be. Everything that was left of the Uchiha was right here. In these homes, in these photos, in these broken window frames. Everything left of Sasuke's childhood was right here, ready to be bulldozed.

Sakura found her resolve again. She walked back to the entrance and took another look at the perimeter walls, which needed repairs but were still standing. They were fine for now. Her first task was to add gates to close all the open entrances.

And if she had any luck at all, Sasuke would respond to Kakashi's next message and approve the repairs. She knew the Uchiha estate still had plenty of funds—especially considering the years of his absence—to take care of the property.

"It's only for a couple of weeks," Sakura tried to comfort herself. "How hard can it be?"

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Pretty hard, it turned out.

Sakura glared at the instructions in front of her, which were laid out carefully on the grass.

She had acquired the instructions, as well as the materials, from a village woodworker who was a friend of her mother's. After a long shift at the hospital, she dropped by his home and picked up the sturdy wooden gate. She was convinced it would be a simple task. She was a quick study with top notch comprehension skills. She was a jonin, for goodness' sake. She could certainly handle an amateur construction job. She had _instructions_. What else could she need?

Sakura looked from the diagram to the gate. Then from the gate to the diagram.

The gate was backwards.

Without no one around to hear her, Sakura gave a wordless grump of rage and tossed the instructions aside. She dismantled the gate and the locks, switched everything around, and began again.

By the time she finished this amateur construction job, it was already nightfall. She had chosen a small back entrance to start with. The gate was barely wide enough for two people to enter at the same time.

Sakura mopped the sweat off her forehead. It was early summer in the Leaf. With satisfaction, she appraised her work by opening the door, closing it, locking it, and then unlocking it with the utmost seriousness in her expression.

Light footsteps came up behind her.

"Thought I'd find you here, forehead," came the subtle, silky voice.

Sakura spun around. "Ino? What are you doing here?"

"I heard an interesting rumor today," Ino replied breezily, flicking her long blond hair over her shoulder. "And I wanted to see if it was true. Have you really volunteered to save the Uchiha district?"

Sakura frowned at the description. She could see the skepticism filling those blue eyes. "Not exactly."

"Sakura, you realize that you are, as we speak, building a gate?" Ino scoffed.

Sakura bent down to gather her things and messily folded up the instructions. "It's just for a week or two," she said. "Kakashi has already sent another message to Sasuke, but the Council wants to see work being done."

Ino crossed her arms. "So why do you have to do it?"

"Who else is going to do it?" Sakura said, becoming testy. "If you have suggestions, please, Ino, I'm all ears."

Ino held up her hands. "Okay, okay, I get it," she said. "I just mean that you already have enough on your plate with the hospital and the children's clinic. I don't see you enough as it is. We haven't been to the movies in _ages._ "

Ino's appeal mollified her. "I know, you're right," Sakura responded. "But it's just a week or two, and it's worth it to buy Sasuke a little more time."

The blond stood there quietly for a moment. That was always a sure sign that Ino was about to say something that Sakura would decidedly not like.

"Sakura," she said in a gentle voice, "I understand your reasons, I really do. It doesn't feel right to let the village tear it down while he's away. But"—inching her eyes up to Sakura's face—"wouldn't Sasuke have said something if it was so important?"

A double meaning hung heavy in the air, one that Ino hadn't intended. For Sakura, it hit too close to home. She struggled to keep her composure as she thought of all the implications of that question. If Sasuke wanted to come back to the village, why didn't he?

Ino continued innocently, unaware of the direction Sakura's thoughts had taken. "All I'm saying is that I don't want you to wear yourself out. Okay? You're still young, Sakura," she said smiling. "You should act like it for a change."

 _You should give up on him._ That was the message resonating in her mind. One day you'll be old, and you will have wasted your life waiting on him. He is not the kind of man to live a normal life, to marry, to settle down. Not the kind of man to love you.

Sakura slung her bag over her shoulder. "I'll keep that in mind, Ino," she said mildly, getting better every day at hiding her feelings of longing and frustration for Sasuke to return. "But for now, we'll keep waiting for Sasuke's reply. I know it'll come soon."

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A week later, Sakura was back in the Hokage's office, standing in front of Kakashi with total disbelief.

She stared at the note uncomprehendingly. The words sat in a neat little row, written in clear, crisp marks. No sign of hurry. No reason to question.

 _Do what you want._

It echoed in her ears.

 _Do what you want._

Somehow she felt so betrayed. They asked for one thing. One simple question, and he couldn't even give them an answer.

The _nerve_.

"What does that even mean? Do what you want," Sakura bit out, thinking to herself that Sasuke was the most horrible, selfish man who ever existed. She looked at Kakashi in exasperation. "What do we do now?"

Kakashi scratched the back of his neck. "Well, I think this counts as written permission for us to make repairs," he said, trying to make the best of it. "And to use Uchiha funds."

"But is that what he wants?" she asked helplessly.

"Who can say what he wants, Sakura?"

Kakashi shook his head.

"But I think this is the right decision," he said. "I think Sasuke will feel differently about the situation whenever he comes back."

 _Whenever._

Was that the timeframe they were operating on now? Whenever Sasuke comes back. If he ever comes back. And in the meantime, they will all just wait for him.

 _Do what you want._

Maybe Ino was right. Sakura crumpled the note in her fist.

 _You're annoying._

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At home in her apartment, Sakura sat cross-legged on her bed, glaring at the wrinkled note pinned above her desk. Sasuke's clean handwriting mocked her. She was still so angry with him. She knew that he was out in the world protecting the village. But these days it felt less like atonement and more like indifference.

In the beginning, she felt content with his absence. Her heart was still full from seeing him back in the village and reuniting with Team Seven for however briefly. Just those small moments were enough. It was more than she'd ever thought possible.

And when he told her goodbye, he looked at her with an expression she had never seen before. In that moment, heat rose to her cheeks as she gazed into his softened charcoal eyes. For a long time, she could still feel the way his calloused fingers brushed against her forehead.

But that was two years ago. Now all she had was a distant memory, and doubt.

Sakura's irritation swiftly turned inward. What did it matter if she imagined that moment between her and Sasuke? It should make no difference. He was a childhood friend, a former member of Team Seven. If it were Naruto or anyone else, she would help however she could, no questions asked.

It was Saturday, her day off, and Sakura climbed out of bed and got dressed. She pulled her shoulder-length hair into a ponytail.

Yamato and Naruto were back from their mission. It was as good of a time as any to finish those wooden gates.

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"Not bad," Yamato said, nodding over Sakura's work. She had built two gates in the week they waited for Sasuke's response and simply used yellow tape over the other entrances.

"I figured if they weren't good," Sakura shrugged, "you could just rebuild them. In fact,"—grinning—"you can feel free to build the others right now if you want."

Yamato gave her a generous smile. "I think I can manage that for you, Sakura."

Meanwhile Naruto stood with his arms crossed, eyeing the compound, nodding his head as if making a plan.

Naruto had taken the news of Sasuke's response much better than Sakura had. When she found them earlier, she recounted, with lingering frustration, Sasuke's curt reply. Naruto merely laughed. "That bastard will never change," he remarked, chuckling like it was all a good joke amongst friends.

Was that a good thing, Sakura wondered, if he never changed?

"Are you having any brilliant ideas?" she called out to him, propping her hand on her hip.

Naruto pushed out his chin and thoughtfully stroked it. "I'm thinking," he said, "that this is a lot of work."

Sakura and Yamato gave each other a look.

"Yes, it is," Sakura consented graciously.

"Where do we even start?" he asked, eyeing several rows of streets and houses.

"We'll hire professionals to do the work," Sakura said, just as much at a loss. "It's obviously more than we can do ourselves."

"What are you talking about?" Naruto scoffed. "You have me. I'll be the muscles of the operation."

Sakura gave him a very pointed, disbelieving look. "If anyone's the muscle around here, it's me."

Naruto carried on. "And Yamato will just rebuild everything," snapping his fingers, "like that."

Yamato interjected. "You're forgetting that neither of us are in the village very often, Naruto. Our help would be pretty unreliable," he said. "And I assume our goal is _not_ to bulldoze the compound and then build on top?"

"Yes," Sakura said. "We should keep as much of the original structure as we can."

He nodded. "Yeah, so even if I help rebuild, you have to go through the process of removing all the rotting wood, broken windows, you name it. I can only fill in the gaps."

Sakura hadn't considered that. When Yamato helped rebuild the village after Pain's attack, he was building fresh on flat ground, not trying to salvage damaged buildings.

"That's okay," she replied. "The contractors can do the repairs. Kakashi said we can use the funds from the Uchiha estate to pay for it."

"Well, I don't know what you're talking about, Yamato," Naruto cut in, throwing his arms behind his head in his customary pose. "I have plenty of time to help."

"No, you don't. You're on a mission more often than not," Sakura remarked.

Naruto started to protest.

"And you've got Hinata now."

He fell silent.

"You can't spend all your time here with your wife home alone."

Naruto raked a hand through his hair and turned back to look at the property. "Yeah, but how are we going to manage this while Sasuke's gone? You can't do it all alone, Sakura."

"I won't do it alone," Sakura insisted. "I'll find some contractors. I'll check on the progress from time to time. It's no big deal."

"Yeah, but that's still a lot of work."

"Who else is going to do it?" she returned, tired of repeating the same sentiment to Ino and now Naruto. "I'm the only one staying in the village right now."

Naruto looked ready to interject, but Sakura persisted.

"Look, we're getting ahead of ourselves. We came here for a job, remember?"

She toured Yamato around all the entrances. Except for the main entrance, they were just openings in the outside wall, large enough for two people to walk through. She pulled the hinges and locks from her backpack, and Naruto cracked a joke that she would quit her job to become a landscaper before it was all over.

Finally they circled back to the front entrance. Tall trees lined the stone walkway, leading up to a gateway with a peaked roof. Tattered banners with the Uchiha emblem hung from the eaves, rippling with breeze.

"I'm not sure how to close up this one," Sakura said, looking to Yamato for suggestions.

The structure stood at least 15 feet tall.

"I don't want to board it up completely," she explained. "The other entrances probably aren't big enough to bring in larger equipment."

Yamato laced his fingers together to prepare his jutsu. Wood cracked through the stone walkway, and in a blink, Yamato closed the entrance with two towering doors. "You'll need to buy a bigger lock for this one," he joked.

"This is perfect, Yamato," she said.

One item checked off the list, Sakura thought with satisfaction.

Now all that was left was, well, everything.

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A few days later, Sakura visited the second floor of the Hokage Tower, where she handed over a formal document sealed by the Seventh Hokage. In return, a middle-aged woman plopped a thick manila folder in Sakura's hands.

"You can sit over there," she said, gesturing at a tiny desk cramped between a bookshelf and another filing cabinet. "You can take as many notes as you like, but the documents stay here."

Sakura thanked the woman and sat down at the desk, shuffling a few papers around to make room. She opened the manila folder and scanned the fragile, aging papers on what was left of the Uchiha estate.

With a start, Sakura motioned the woman over. "I'm sorry, but am I looking at this right? Why are the cash holdings nowhere near the bottom line value?"

The woman looked over Sakura's shoulder with a sigh, her glasses sliding an inch down her nose. "This line shows the value of the estate, dear. Most of this is tied up in the property." Pointing to a considerably smaller figure, she clarified, "This is the actual amount of available funds."

"Oh." Sakura had little else to say. "Thank you."

She quickly took out a notepad and wrote down the allowance.

 _We'll hire professionals to do the work._

Naruto always had a knack for guessing. Maybe he was right when he said she would become a landscaper by the end of it.

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As the weeks went by, Sakura scoped out all the construction companies in the village and found one that was willing to bargain with her.

Sakura found that she didn't really mind the work. It felt a lot like school. Because she was never at a loss for questions, she picked up information so fast that Michio, the lead on the project, often joked that he'd take her on as an apprentice if she wanted.

"You're strong," he said one day, crossing his tanned arms over his chest. "You can lift better than most of the men working for me. And we could use a medic around. Think about it?" he laughed.

Sakura made a plan with Michio about which parts his men would handle, and which parts she would do on her own. She would remove the furniture from the houses before work began, making sure that none of Sasuke's family's items were thrown away or damaged in the process. She could tear up rotting floors and paint walls.

Just pitching in here and there, she reasoned to herself.

But she didn't tell anyone about the money.

On a typical day, Sakura arrived at the hospital in the early morning when it was still damp and chill. When her shift ended, she stepped out into the hot evening air, squinting at her first look at the late afternoon sun. The summer heat helped dispel the sterile, medicinal scent of her clothes.

Every time Sakura left the hospital to go straight to the Uchiha compound, she felt a self-conscious burning in her gut. Every time she perched on the back of someone's deck, nibbling at whatever takeout she picked up on the way, she heard an embarrassed voice inside her that said this was too much.

It was hard enough that her entire village knew she loved a man who didn't feel the same way.

Her feelings were on constant parade. All the sympathetic looks, the way people changed their tone around her when they mentioned Sasuke, as if apologizing. It was torture. Even if she wanted to move on, she felt sure that no one would let her.

So whenever she could, she lied. When Naruto ran into her after a mission, she said she was headed to the hospital for a late shift. When she saw Ino leaving the hospital, she said she was on her way to visit Hinata. But most days she was at the compound.

Today she walked through the open main entrance, carrying an extra-large takeout bag.

Michio was hauling lumber from the back of a truck when he stopped at the sight of her. He grinned, emphasizing the smile lines around his eyes. "What have you brought us this time?" he asked.

"Dango," Sakura chirped.

"That's not food," Michio replied, as he took the bag of syrup-coated anko dumplings regardless. "Those are sweets."

"Sweets are food," she maintained. "And don't eat it all. It's for everyone."

Hiroto, Isami, and Koya made up the rest of the Takahashi Construction crew. As unlikely as it seemed, Sakura almost preferred their company over anyone else's these days. Maybe it was the carefree way they sat around between projects, talking about anything, their wives, their kids if they had any, their weekend plans.

Sakura experienced a marvelous absence of pressure around them. They had next to no previous knowledge of her. They knew people often addressed her as "Lady Sakura," that she had formed a much-praised program at the hospital, and that she was once in Team Seven. They did occasionally ask questions about what Naruto was like as a kid, if all the stories were true. But for the most part, shinobi life was a distant thing to them, something to consider curiously from time to time.

And sometimes she felt the same way. Less like a shinobi and more like a civilian. It was a relief to shed her shinobi fears, to cast off memories. It was an escape.

The four of them gobbled down the sweets. "These are good," Michio admitted, polishing off the sugary residue from each fingertip. "But I think we deserve to go out tonight."

"Oh no," Sakura protested. "I should get home. I have an early shift tomorrow."

"You always have an early shift," they chorused.

"Sakura, lighten up," Michio encouraged. "We should celebrate. In three months, you've learned your way around a staging area. You can patch a roof. You can install drywall now." Lowering his voice to the others, he conceded, "Sure, she almost killed you in the process, Isami, but still," raising his voice again, "you've come a long way. And the offer for my apprenticeship still stands."

Sakura pretended to consider the offer. "It's a great opportunity, but I think I'll have to pass," she said, scrunching her nose. She stood up and patted the dust off her shorts. "But you convinced me into dinner at least."

At the mention of dinner, they all jumped to their feet. Sakura had never seen them pack up so quickly. As they left the complex, she looked over her shoulder at the progress they had made.

It startled her, how different it looked. You could plainly see the new wood where walls were replaced and decks were rebuilt. Sakura had a startling thought as she pictured Sasuke walking into his clan's district, not recognizing it, seeing smeared village fingertips over every surface.

Where she had once longed for Sasuke's return, now she felt anxiety.

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Three months in, and there was no more avoiding it.

"We've got a blown-out back door on another one," Michio said one day. "We should take care of that before there's any more water damage."

Sakura immediately perked up. "No, not that one," she said, seeing his direction.

She sprang from the back deck where she had been hammering down loose nails.

"I'll handle that one," she insisted. "You can leave that one alone."

Michio quirked an eyebrow but said nothing.

The next day, she made sure none of the guys were working. Sakura stood in front of the only untouched house in the district. She stepped inside, alone and hesitant, into Sasuke's childhood home.

It felt like any other house when she walked in. Several layers of dust lay on the floor and furniture, undisturbed since the day he left. The silence felt permanent, and the house was full of it. Sakura tried to focus on the task at hand. She moved through the front room to the back of the house, where she knew a sliding door had been thrown off its track. The floor there was weak with water damage.

But it was impossible to keep her eyes from wandering. A picture frame on the credenza made her pause. With the heavy silence of the district at her back, like a thousand eyes, she picked up the frame with a guilty heart.

She never met Sasuke's parents. She looked at their faces with amazement. Fugaku stood as tall and proud as she imagined, but with a softer look in his eyes. His mother Mikoto was all loveliness, with long black hair and a radiant complexion. That was who Sasuke got his looks from, Sakura thought. Itachi stood next to them, just a child with a sweet face. Sasuke slept in his arms, bundled, blissful.

She lingered over Sasuke, trying to find the chiseled features of his adulthood in that plump, cherub face. In the end, all she could recognize was the unruly tuft of jet black hair.

Over the course of four days, Sakura moved furniture out of the back room, taking care with the vases and dishes that she imagined were Mikoto's favorite. She replaced the broken sliding door, tore up the damaged floor, and put down new hardwood. She drained the neglected koi pond in the backyard, wiped down the sides, and closed it with a plain wood cover.

She dusted the front room and mopped the floor. But she didn't enter any of the other rooms. When everything was done, she left the house, pulling the door softly shut behind her.

Sakura looked up at the evening sky, streaked with orange and red. She released the breath she'd been holding all this time.

Stopping and starting, she told herself she did a good thing.

She walked home pulling cobwebs out of her hair.

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All things come to an end, Tsunade used to say.

She quoted the saying as it related to death. In her early days, Sakura could not bear the thought of losing a patient or failing a treatment. It was her naiveté. She couldn't face the world for what it was.

One afternoon as a younger Sakura fretted over an extremely ill patient, Tsunade took her aside. "If you're going to be a medic, Sakura, I need you to remember this," she said firmly. "We will all die one day. And no matter how long we put it off, one day it will come."

As summer turned into fall, Sakura became quite used to her new routine. Long, early morning hospital shifts and evenings spent at the Uchiha compound with the Takahashi Construction crew. On her days off, when she wasn't reading or studying for a patient, she might grab a cup of tea with Hinata and Ino, or a cup of sake with Tsunade if she was in town.

Occasionally she and Lee sparred. He was the perfect sparring partner for her, for a number of reasons. No matter how many missions he went on, he had unlimited reservoirs of energy and was always willing to spar. And as a fellow taijutsu specialist, he challenged Sakura to become not only stronger but also faster in her movements.

His sensei had a different view than hers.

As silly as she found Lee and Gai's green jumpsuits, she had to admit that there was something in their fanatical "spirit of youth" dogma. Both of them had borne physical tragedies that another patient wouldn't have survived. With their impassioned optimism and love for life, they often overcame impossible circumstances.

By saying the words, by dwelling on them, she believed you could bring it into existence and make it true.

Every day Sakura visited the Uchiha compound, helping Michio and the others finish the last few projects and pack up their equipment. She would do the rest herself. There were only a couple doors to install, a few windows to replace, and a lot of painting.

Every day she sat on one of the house's decks, legs hanging over the edge, soles of her shoes just skimming the long blades of grass. The warm, humid breeze rustled through the trees and gently ruffled her tresses, now several inches down her back.

Every day she looked around and wondered when Sasuke would be back, when he would see it, what he would say, how would he feel when he saw her. Would he be irritated? Would he look at her with that expression she thought she'd imagined?

She spoke it into existence. That was all she could think.

Her hands trembled when one of her nurses burst into the break room and said, "Have you heard? Sasuke Uchiha is in the village. Aiko saw him just now at the Hokage Tower!"

Sakura placed her clipboard on a stray table and removed her doctor's coat. She pushed open the hospital doors and, with every step, she walked faster and faster until she was running, heart galloping.

She traced the well-known path to the Uchiha compound. Intuition led her there. Fear stopped her at the main gate. The double-doors were open. Hesitating, feeling the painful pounding in her chest, she walked through the entrance.

Sasuke stood on the other side.


	2. Chapter 2

For a moment, she was too stunned to speak.

There he was. Real, solid. He stood facing the compound. He looked over his shoulder at her, then turned around. Sakura could hardly believe her eyes, and yet she knew she wasn't imagining this. Every time she pictured Sasuke in her mind, she thought of him on the day he left. Now, two years later, there was so much the same, but so much different.

The striking contrast of his jet black hair and alabaster skin, like his mother. The serious set of his mouth, like his father. He wore a plain black cloak, shirt, and pants, probably something he bought on the road. His hair had grown longer and obscured the Rinnegan in his left eye. A light breeze rippled through his cloak, exposing the left sleeve of his shirt hanging loosely by his hip, empty.

Beyond all that, he seemed taller. His shoulders were wider. A little dazed, it dawned on Sakura that he simply looked older.

She wondered if she looked any different to him. She wondered if his Rinnegan could see the anxiety and hidden guilt in her eyes.

"Sasuke," was all she could manage at first.

He said nothing, and that made her even more anxious.

"Look, the thing is—"

"I'm home, Sakura."

He stated it so quickly and so matter-of-factly that she nearly missed it.

The words stopped in her throat as she processed what he said. He didn't seem to be talking about the Uchiha district at all. She wasn't sure whether to be more or less concerned by that. Maybe his note had been right all along, and he truly didn't care what happened to the place.

In the past, Sakura believed she always said too much. This time around she decided not to give everything away.

After a moment, she said, "Welcome home, Sasuke."

In spite of her anxiety and uncertainty, she could still hear the pleasure in her voice. That much hadn't changed since the academy.

Sasuke took several steps toward her, closing the gap between them.

A sudden thought struck her with alarm. Would he ask why she was here? What would she say? But as soon as the panicked thought crossed her mind, Sasuke had already moved onto another topic.

"Where are you headed?" he asked in perfect coolness. He assumed the informality of someone she saw every day, not for the first time in two years after an ambiguous parting.

Sakura racked her brain. "The hospital," she replied. She had just rushed out on her shift. That was a true enough answer.

"I'll go with you," he decided, leaving little room for answer. "Kakashi said I needed a physical."

He enunciated _physical_ like a foreign word, a trivial thing that the rest of the ninja world practiced, but he had no reason for. There it was, that cocky tilt to his chin, the practiced indifference. Sakura almost smiled because it felt good to recognize these traits; it felt good that he was not totally unfamiliar.

Sasuke walked past her, then stopped. "Are you coming?"

"Sure," she replied clumsily, as she fell into pace with him.

It was a long walk to the hospital. Sakura tried to prepare herself mentally for how to pass the time. All she could think about were the last three months she spent in the Uchiha district with its dusty family photos and unfinished shogi games.

She weighed whether to bring it up or not. He didn't seem concerned. He probably didn't care. Kakashi must have told him that they made repairs, and so he came to see for himself. Although, Sakura thought to herself nervously, he must care a little if he went out of his way to visit the Uchiha district. It wasn't exactly a convenient location on the outskirts of the village.

The question was, how much did Sasuke know?

Well, she thought, just recount the facts.

Sasuke could only know what Kakashi told him. Obviously, Kakashi knew that Sakura was the main point of contact for the renovation crew. But as often as she could, she lied about how much she was involved. With how busy Kakashi was as Hokage, he couldn't possibly have kept tabs on her the whole time.

And besides, Sasuke's total lack of interest would have discouraged details. That meant they probably didn't discuss her at all. Sasuke may not even realize she had any part in it.

Sakura snapped out of her reverie when she heard her name.

"Sakura," her companion repeated. "I asked you a question."

He lifted an elegant eyebrow. Her cheeks flushed pink.

"Sorry about that," she laughed, rubbing at the back of her neck. "What was that?"

"You're quieter than normal," he remarked.

They were just a block from the hospital now. She realized they had walked a full ten minutes in total silence.

In a rush to cover her embarrassment, she quipped, "Well, you're more talkative than normal."

An expression passed over Sasuke's face, disappearing before she could properly recognize it. He grunted and looked ahead toward the hospital.

For a moment, Sakura thought it was strange how he was walking, with his eyes trained straight ahead. And then she realized they were gathering quite a bit of attention in the streets. When she looked around, she noticed casual circles of people laughing and chatting, then quieting down when the two of them passed by. Whispers, looks. Sasuke's reputation had completely changed after the Fourth Great Ninja War, but unlike Naruto, he didn't come home to celebrate as the village hero. His past, as well as his absence, made him an unpredictable figure. People didn't know how to react to him. Come to think of it, neither did she.

Sakura attempted to restart the conversation, feeling rude for remaining in silence for so long. The man did just return from a two-year absence.

"Where you were last?" At Sasuke's stare, she clarified, "Cloud? Sand?"

"Lightning."

"That's a long ways," she replied.

A lengthy pause.

She tried again. "Are you back for good?"

A loaded question.

"Yes," he said, not looking at her.

Sakura smiled to herself. "That didn't last long," she said. "Your newfound talkativeness."

This time Sakura caught his passing expression in time. As he glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, there was something like amusement and surprise in his furrowed eyebrows.

"If you're tired from your travels, Sasuke," she continued, "I'm sorry to inform you that we have a long hospital visit ahead of us."

"Why's that," he countered, none too pleased.

Finally, she was settling into comfortable subject matter. She began counting on her fingers. "You need a full physical, several routine labs, and I'm _sure_ you're not up-to-date on your vaccines," she said disapprovingly. "You should have come to the hospital earlier, really. You could be spreading disease as we speak."

Another grunt. "Ridiculous."

The gleaming white hospital greeted them. Not much had changed since Sasuke lived in the village, except that they were in the middle of expanding the back of the building into a whole new wing. Sakura was looking forward to its completion because that meant her children's mental health clinic would move to a bigger space.

They walked through the double doors, and the receptionist greeted them with astonishment.

"Hi Umi," Sakura said, as she instinctively signed Sasuke in at the front desk.

"Lady Sakura," Umi exclaimed. She turned to Sasuke with wide eyes. "Sasuke Uchiha," she greeted. "How can we help you today?"

Sakura rattled off a list, and as the list grew longer, Sasuke's mouth settled into a frown. She then turned to him and said, "Just wait here. They'll take you to a room in a minute."

"You're not doing the check-up," he stated rather than asked.

Umi cut in. "Oh, no sir," she stammered. "A nurse will show you to your room."

Sakura offered Sasuke a smile, secretly relieved that she wouldn't have to awkwardly wait around with him. "I'll see you after when I clear you for release," she said, before turning around and heading back to the quiet sanctuary of her office.

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An hour later, Sakura was feeling calm and decided.

She would continue on as if she had no part in the whole Uchiha district business. Michio and his crew would finish up the repairs. After the district passed its next housing inspection, Sasuke could do with it as he pleased. Kakashi could discuss that with him. No need for her involvement past this point. She had already done her job.

Just be normal, Sakura instructed herself. How hard could that be?

With Sasuke's files in one hand, she knocked on his hospital room door, then let herself in.

He sat looking impatient on the edge of the bed. He had pocketed his hand and stretched out his long lean legs, occupying most of the floor space. When she saw the sullen, ill-tempered look on his face, she had to press her lips together to avoid laughing. For all his strength and skills, he just resembled a grumpy, overgrown kid who hated hospitals.

"So you're a doctor now," he said, taking in the sight of her crisp white coat.

Sakura had forgotten what a single-minded, focused gaze he had. She hummed modestly in affirmation, and was glad for the clipboard of Sasuke's files. It gave her something to do with her hands.

"Everything checks out," she said. "But your triglycerides were a little high. Have you eaten?"

"Yes."

"Then that's normal." She pretended to flip through the files as she said, "Your eyes are the biggest concern. Mind if I check?"

He gazed back at her. She interpreted his delay as opposition. Most ninja with ocular jutsu were very protective of their eyes, and so she plucked the slim penlight out of her coat pocket and clarified, "Just a flashlight test."

He nodded, and she turned off a light to dim the room. She stood carefully to the side of him, close but not too close. She flipped the bright light into his right eye and watched it constrict. Hesitating, she raised her hand to brush away the dark bangs covering his left eye. She stared curiously into the Rinnegan as it behaved like any normal eye would.

"What does this even prove," he said, moving his mismatched gaze to her.

She removed her hand, surprised at the softness and warmth of his skin, and turned off the penlight. "That there's no damage to your optic nerve," she replied.

"And how can you tell," he challenged.

"Because I'm a professional," she said with a faint, cheeky smile.

Sakura could not explain it, but an image flashed through her mind. She imagined standing not to the side of him, but rather in between his legs, as he slid a large hand underneath her doctor's coat to grab her waist.

The image shocked, and startled, her. She stepped away immediately and turned the lights back on.

You can't think those kinds of thoughts, she berated herself. You just can't.

She drifted to the corner table in the room and leaned against it, forcing a bright smile to hide her discomfort. "And that's it," she said, falling into her typical doctor's role. "You're free to go. Not so bad right?"

Sasuke gave her a skeptic look, and she laughed.

She was about to push off the desk and open the door, so they could leave, when Sasuke suddenly spoke.

"How much work is left on the compound?"

Sakura froze. Her inner voice was just a loud, resounding _shit, shit, shit._ As soon as she convinced herself that they _wouldn't_ have this conversation, now they were having this conversation. How much did he know? What should she say? Sakura tried her best to maintain her outward composure while internally panicking about how to respond.

"Say again?" she responded none too elegantly.

"How much work is left on the compound," Sasuke repeated, some irritation in his tone. "Kakashi said you were in charge of the repairs."

"Yes, I hired the contractors," she hedged.

"Are you free tomorrow?"

Sakura blinked. "After my shift, yeah."

"Then tomorrow you can walk me through what's left."

Sakura nodded dumbly as he stood up and walked to the door. She roused herself to say, "Are you headed back to Kakashi's office?"

"Yes," he said. He paused with his hand on the doorknob. "I'll see you tomorrow, Sakura."

When he left, she turned back to the spot where he sat on the bed. She shook her head in amazement and wondered for the hundredth time in the last three months what she had gotten herself into.

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.

The next day, Sakura spent half her shift watching the clock. She tapped her foot, chewed on the end of her pencil, kept glancing away from her budget paperwork. She needed to review the new budget for the children's clinic, but for the life of her, she couldn't stay focused.

She had mixed feelings about today's walk-through with Sasuke. She felt a chaotic blend of elation and nerves—a common mix of emotions for her when it came to Sasuke. She supposed that she would meet him at the compound after her shift. Or would he meet her at the hospital? No, she thought, that was absurd. Sasuke did not stroll by hospitals to pick people up.

For once, Sakura made absolutely sure that she left work on time. As soon as her shift ended, she gathered her things and marched to the opening lobby. A nurse stopped her on the way.

"Wow, Lady Sakura, I've never seen you leave on time before." She leaned forward and lowered her voice. "Any special reason? Maybe a date?"

Several of the nurses, and especially the receptionist Umi, had tried to set her up in the past, but Sakura always declined.

"No," Sakura laughed breezily, still making her way to the door. "Not in the least."

She stepped outside, admiring the way the mid-afternoon sun gleamed warmly on the houses and trees. She tried to focus on how pleasant the autumn afternoon was while she walked the familiar trail to the Uchiha compound. As she grew closer, that became more difficult.

Sakura passed through the main entryway and wandered into the complex. "Sasuke?" she called uncertainly. She walked a little further into the first street of houses and called his name again.

A rickety door opened to her left, nearly coming off the hinges, and Sasuke emerged, running fingers through the dust in his hair. He had exited through a side door and was about to walk down the wooden deck to her when Sakura shouted, "No, that's not braced!"

Sasuke stopped and looked at her.

"That's not braced yet," she repeated, though uncomfortable barking commands at Sasuke in his own family's complex. "It's still unstable."

"Ah."

He stepped off the deck and crossed over to her through the grass, stopping much closer to her than she anticipated. She remembered a time when they weren't that different in height. Growing up, she'd always been tall for her age. Now he stood head and shoulders above her. She had to bend her neck and look up at him.

"Let's walk back to the front," he said.

As they walked, Sakura realized they hadn't exchanged a proper hello. She thought she'd attempt a single question of small talk. "Have you been here all day?"

"No."

Inwardly Sakura rolled her eyes. That went well.

"I'm still creating reports for Kakashi."

It was an answer, at least. Sakura was pleasantly surprised.

Without any prompting from Sasuke, she began the rundown on each house as soon as they reached the front. She kept the focus entirely on the renovation crew. _They've_ put in a new roof and new windows. But _they_ haven't replaced this door or painted over the wall they rebuilt.

But with every step, Sakura knew they were getting closer to Sasuke's house.

When they finally reached it, Sakura tried to continue on as normal, as if she didn't know. But even to her own ears, she didn't sound convincing.

"And here, the back doors were blown out, and so the back room had a lot of water damage on the floors," she trailed, looking anywhere but him. "They also drained the koi pond in the back."

As Sasuke opened the front door, she quietly marveled at the ease of his movements, the lack of tension in his body. Years ago, just the mention of his family would make his jaw clench and his shoulders tense.

Sakura lingered in the doorway after him.

He scanned the front room, taking note of the clean floors and polished surfaces. His gaze hovered on the family photo for an instant. Then he smoothly walked down the hallway. Sakura could hear him open three doors, the only rooms she hadn't touched. His, Itachi's, and their parent's.

He didn't linger. He returned in a moment, walking straight to the back room, not stopping at that lone picture on the credenza. As he surveyed the new wood flooring and the sliding back door, Sakura wandered into the room and stood at a distance.

He opened the left side of a cabinet, where there was a collection of pretty vases on one shelf. They sat there bright and glossy in the dark room.

Sakura burned with sudden embarrassment. She didn't want to admit going through Sasuke's, or his mother's, personal things, but it seemed worse to suggest that a group of paid strangers did.

"I moved the furniture," Sakura said, breaking the silence. "I thought I'd be more careful."

Sasuke said nothing, only nodded. He stared at the vases for another pensive moment, as if he were remembering something he'd forgotten a long time ago. He shut the cabinet door softly.

They left the house in silence. When they stepped outside, she released the breath she'd been holding. Looking around, she realized it was already late afternoon. They started back to the main gate.

Sakura tucked her hair behind her ear and, trying to conclude the evening, said, "I guess that's everything."

Sasuke seemed to be counting in his head while he looked out at the compound. "Who are the contractors," he said.

"Oh, ah, Takashi Construction. On Tenth Street."

"When are they coming next," he said.

"Oh, I called yesterday," Sakura lied, "and told them to hold off."

"Good. I'll do the rest."

Sakura tried to mask her surprise. "Are you sure? What's left is minor, but it will still take a lot of time."

"I have time," he clipped.

"Alright," she conceded. "You can get what you need from Michio and the guys."

Sasuke looked at her. "Michio?"

"The owner's son," she replied. "He's the lead on the project." As they reached the front gate, Sakura turned and faced him. "They've ordered all the supplies. I can ask them to deliver it here if you want."

"Are they open?"

Sakura shook her head. "No, but I can go tomorrow morning. It's my day off."

"Ah. I'll go with you."

"Oh, I don't mind—"

"I'll meet you at 8," he stated. "Are you still on Tashi Street?"

The mention of her parents' house on Tashi Street took her by surprise. But she had no time to dwell on Sasuke's impeccable memory. "No, I've moved," she said, giving him the address. "I'm on Fifth Street, not far from the hospital."

"Ah."

She shifted her weight uneasily as she asked this next question. "And you?" she said. "Where are you staying?"

The alternative, staying alone in the vast and unfinished Uchiha district, hovered unspoken between them.

To her relief, Sasuke motioned to their right, saying, "A few blocks from here."

"Okay, well," she trailed, "then I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Ah."

They parted ways, and as soon as she walked around the next corner, Sakura ducked into an alley. She ran both of her hands through her hair and took a calming breath. Walking through the Uchiha district with him had her feeling like her head could burst. And his shotgun questions and answers didn't help. Every interaction with him sent her heart racing and made her question everything he did and said.

Tomorrow, she thought.

 _You're annoying._

See you tomorrow.

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The next day, Sakura woke up at five like she normally did, plenty of time to dress, eat breakfast, and arrive at the hospital before six.

She rolled onto her side, propping herself up on her elbow. Sleeping in past her usual time was unlikely, so she resigned herself to getting dressed and ready a full two hours before Sasuke would arrive.

In the bathroom, as she ran a brush through her pink locks, she considered her reflection. She spent so little time on her appearance these days, much to Ino's chagrin. She debated whether she should put in a little extra effort today. Then she shook it off as nonsense.

After eating breakfast, she settled herself at the desk by her window. She cracked open a medical text on chakra disorders, leafing through musty pages and scribbling notes. She was so caught up in her reading, preparing for a patient traveling to Konoha soon, that she nearly jumped out of her seat when she heard a knock on the door.

She rushed to the door and swung it open. "Sasuke!" she exclaimed.

He arched an eyebrow. "Weren't expecting me," he drawled dryly.

Sakura gave an awkward laugh, not quite used to this new Sasuke, who was almost as casual and sarcastic as he was years ago before he left. Before, everything. "No, I just"—shaking her head—"lost track of time. Here, come in. I just need to put on my shoes."

Sasuke stepped into her apartment, gaze flickering over the perfectly neat kitchen then the desk scattered with books. A few papers had fallen to the ground when she jumped up. She hastened to set them on the desk, embarrassed over the mixed state of her apartment. Her mother would certainly cluck her tongue if she saw it.

Sakura wasted no time to yank on her boots. "I'm ready," she announced, opening the front door. Sasuke slid out, not saying a word.

They started down the stairs together. They met one of her neighbors half-way down, an old woman two doors down from her, on her way back from the market. Aiko adjusted her glasses when she saw Sakura.

"Are you sick, child?" she asked. "Why have you slept in?"

As the pair descended a few more steps, Sasuke finally came into view for Aiko. She screwed her eyes up in astonishment, then shambled up the stairs to her door.

"Let me help with your bags," Sakura offered, but Aiko was already at the top of the staircase.

"Nonsense, Sakura," she called over her shoulder. "It's a beautiful morning out. Make sure to enjoy it."

As they continued on their way, Sakura felt the need for some small talk, despite knowing that Sasuke would be happy without it. It just felt strange to meet someone so early in the morning and not exchange pleasantries.

"That was Aiko," she remarked lamely, for lack of a better topic. "She's a little eccentric. She's pretty much in love with Naruto, if that tells you anything," she chuckled.

She stopped dead in her tracks, and Sasuke turned with a quizzical look.

"Oh my god! _Naruto_. You haven't even seen Naruto, have you?"

All this time, she had been so caught up in her own thoughts and feelings—seeing Sasuke for the first time, dealing with the Uchiha compound—that she had somehow overlooked a very obvious missing piece to their reunion. The blond knucklehead himself.

Sasuke resumed walking, leaving her behind. "No."

Mirth quickly overcame her surprise. Bubbling with laughter, she caught up to him. "Naruto is going to be so mad," she proclaimed. "That you would come back while he's on a mission"—pausing to laugh again—"is too good."

Sasuke's eyes snapped to her, seeming to linger on her wide, good-humored smile. He responded with a grunt or scoff; she couldn't be sure.

"I can't believe I forgot," she continued, talking mostly to herself. "He's been in Sand for the last week, doing some diplomatic work. Kakashi's trying to groom him for the position, you know."

Okay, that one was a scoff.

"That dead last as Hokage," he said. "Kakashi has his work cut out for him."

Sakura chuckled. Naruto was the same as ever, still boisterous and headstrong. But he would surprise her sometimes with how serious he could be. She thought marriage had been good for him too. Hinata lent such a sure, reliable influence in his life.

A sigh escaped her at the thought of Naruto and Hinata's wedding. She still remembered how disappointed she was when Sasuke didn't come.

Now that most of her friends had paired up and started dating, she was the only single person in the crowd. Normally she faired pretty well for herself, but it was impossible not to feel lonely at times.

Seeing the sign for Takashi Construction, she tried to shake off her despondent thoughts. "Here we are," she said. She went to open the door, but Sasuke grabbed it first. He held it open for her, looking bored. She flushed as she walked under his outstretched arm.

Finding the foyer empty as usual, Sakura tapped the little bell on the front desk, once and then twice out of habit.

She heard a bang in the background.

"Lay off the bell, Sakura!" someone howled, recognizing the tell-tale rhythm. "I'm coming, I'm coming."

Michio appeared, rubbing the back of his head. When he saw Sakura, his face relaxed into a smile, the one where he was usually about to rag on her. Then he noticed Sasuke standing to her right, leaning with his back against the front desk.

"Not your normal time, Sakura," Michio remarked, regarding Sasuke for another second before moving his gaze back to her. "What can I do for you?"

"If you could deliver the rest of the materials, that would be great," Sakura said in her most conciliatory tone. "There was some lumber, doors, doorknobs, paint, and a few other odds and ends, I think."

Michio plucked a notebook from beneath the desk and started scribbling. "Got it. You're the boss," he said.

"Actually," Sakura corrected, looking slyly at her silent companion, "Sasuke's the boss. Sasuke, this is Michio Takashi. Michio, this is Sasuke Uchiha."

Michio stuck the pencil behind his ear. "Uchiha," he repeated meaningfully. "Good to meet you."

Sasuke regarded him coolly.

"You're taking over from here?"

"Yeah, I am."

For someone as talkative and easygoing as Michio, he seemed thrown off by Sasuke's willful silence. "Alright," he said, falling back with a clipped, professional tone. "Then just let us know if you need anything, or have questions about the work we've done." As an afterthought, he added, "Although you can probably just ask Sakura."

"Okay, thanks again, Michio," she said, cutting him off. She glanced at Sasuke. "Ready to go?"

He nodded and moved to the door.

Sakura merrily tapped the bell one last time before rushing behind Sasuke. Over her shoulder she saw Michio shaking his head, and she chuckled as they walked out.

She nearly bumped into Sasuke, who had stopped in the middle of the street. He looked up at a falcon circling overhead.

"I have to go," he said, sounding grumpier than normal to Sakura's ears. "Kakashi wants me."

Now that their trip was over, they would have parted ways regardless. But Sakura felt disappointed at the abruptness. "Okay," she said. "But you really ought to get a cell phone, Sasuke. Times are changing."

Still not eliciting a response from him, she continued thoughtfully, "Although I suppose it's good you weren't here when Naruto got his. A lot of prank calls that month."

Why did she keep bringing up Naruto? It was like he was the only thing they had in common. And to be honest, she'd never spent so much time alone with Sasuke in her life. During her Team Seven days, she dreamed about moments like this. Now she realized that, despite everything they'd been through, they didn't have that many experiences together, just the two of them.

"Okay, well,"—and mentally cursing herself for saying _well_ every three seconds—"I'm headed to the hospital now."

"I thought today was your day off," he replied, finally speaking.

"Oh, well,"—damn it—"it is. I was just going to finish up some paperwork."

The budget she couldn't focus on yesterday.

"Ah."

Not sure what else to say, and confused at the swift change in Sasuke's demeanor, Sakura waved and said she would see him around. He walked away, raising his hand in a silent goodbye.

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* * *

 **A/N.** I've been off FF for eight years now, so it was a lot of fun seeing the reviews and favorites come in. Really warmed my heart. :) The pace picks up next chapter, and also our favorite blond knucklehead appears. Stay tuned!


	3. Chapter 3

That was all she saw of Sasuke for the next two days.

It was weird spending two straight days with him, then nothing at all. She tried to ward off the thoughts that appeared over and over again. The way they parted over two years ago, was it acceptance as a teammate or something more?

Sasuke's actions since he returned weren't a clear indicator. He had certainly spoken to her more than he ever had before. But on the other hand, Sasuke was a task-oriented person by nature. If she put her feelings aside and considered the time they spent together, it was little more than an exchange of a project. And since handing the project over, she hadn't heard from him.

Although Ino berated her for working so much, it was actually a relief. The only way Sakura could stop thinking about something was to think about something _else_. Long days at the hospital kept her pleasantly worn out. She never ran out of work to do, that was for sure. As soon as she finished her work as a doctor, she could easily turn around and focus on her work as the head coordinator of the children's mental health clinic.

She skimmed her notes for a presentation tomorrow. Last year Kido had interfered with her request for a budget increase, but she had a good feeling that, with him gone, she would win her case.

She leafed through her clipboard as she walked back to her office. She liked to spend the evenings in there when she could, with the late afternoon sun slanting through the windows, watching patients leave with their families.

As she approached her office, her ears perked up at the sound of a voice.

"I can see that you're hopeless, so let me share my wisdom with you. You have to think of _reasons_ to—"

Naruto, she recognized. Then a muffled response.

"I don't want your excuses," Naruto proclaimed. "I know this might shock you, but you actually have to put in some effort, you bastard—"

Sakura's eyes widened when she heard the familiar slur. Too late, she realized that Naruto and Sasuke were both in her office, having some kind of private conversation, but she had already rested her hand against the doorknob and pushed it open.

She cursed her ill-timing. If she had waited another moment, she could have listened longer.

"Naruto, Sasuke," she greeted.

Sasuke sat behind her desk with a book in his hand, reclining his head against the chair. Naruto sat off at an angle on the window bench. He was jabbing an accusatory finger at Sasuke, but immediately upon hearing Sakura enter, he dropped his hands in his lap.

"Sakura!" he exclaimed. "Did you miss me?"

Sakura thought about teasing him, but one look at his ruffled blond hair and easy, genuine smile softened her. "Always," she replied happily. Then she saw that Naruto was sitting, actually sitting, on a pile of very important budget documents.

"Naruto," she said, slowly, sweetly, and the hairs of his neck rose. "What did I say about unsupervised trips to my office?"

Naruto laughed nervously. "I don't remember a conversation," fumbling, "of that manner. With you."

Now she was the one jabbing an accusatory finger. "Naruto Uzumaki, get your ass off my paperwork this instant."

Naruto jumped up, swirling a few loose papers in the air, and edged to the opposite side of the room. There he bumped into another desk, and a lone paper drifted lightly to the floor.

When it landed, Sakura looked at him and deadpanned, "This is why we had that conversation."

Naruto wailed with fake tears. "I'm sorry, Sakura, but it's really not my fault that you have not one, but _two_ desks of papers, and you know, you could probably have a better paper management system anyway—"

"I _do_ have a system—"

"—because you just leave all these stacks of papers lying around where any innocent person could bump into them—"

Sakura hit the back of Naruto's head, cutting him off with a resounding slap.

Over the years, Naruto seemed to accept that Sakura was, in some ways, like a natural disaster in his life, and there was no influencing nature or fate. He spun around to Sasuke instead.

"Sasuke!" he reproached with a half-growl, half-whine. "Are you not seeing this? I'm an innocent man. You're back on Team Seven, and it's time you start participating and supporting your future Hokage. You can't let her abuse me like this."

Sasuke snorted, not looking up from his book. "And what do you want me to do about it?"

Sakura crossed her arms, wondering aloud, "Are you really going to talk about me like I'm not here?"

The blond gave Sasuke a scandalized look, ignoring Sakura completely. "I want you to help establish some _law and order_ in this team, Sasuke, because Sakura uses her monstrous strength against me—"

A vein throbbed deeply in Sakura's forehead. She slammed her palm against the back of Naruto's head, hard enough to send him sprawling on the floor this time. "I'll show you monstrous," she spat.

Naruto shuddered sadly on the floor. As he moved into a half-seated position, still cradling the back of his head, he glared at Sasuke. "That was a great missed opportunity right there, Sasuke. But you know what, it's fine. You're scared of Sakura. I get it."

Sasuke gave him an evil scowl, but Sakura noticed that he kept his voice at a mutter when he replied, "I am not _scared_ of Sakura."

"Yeah, you are," Naruto said, "like everyone else."

"If you keep talking about me _as if I'm not currently standing beside you in my own damn office_ ," Sakura hissed, "I will throw you two through the wall, so help me God."

Both men stilled. Naruto stood and looked innocently up at a corner of the ceiling. Sasuke dipped his head ever so slightly back into his book.

Sakura's mouth parted in shock at the scene. A wave of nostalgia overcame her. It had been so many years since Team Seven that she had nearly _forgot_. All those missions where she practically terrorized Naruto, berating his every mistake, punching him at every little snide comment. And Sasuke too, she probably terrorized, albeit with different methods.

Sakura burst into a good-natured laugh. "Come on, I'm only kidding," she said, returning to her sweet voice, although a little too sweet for Naruto to feel properly safe again. He shot a few warning looks at Sasuke as if the episode might not be over.

"Oh, lighten up, Naruto," Sakura chuckled as she returned the fallen paper to its stack. "But you know, you haven't told me why you're here. What brings the two of you to my office?"

"Ramen!" Naruto shouted, immediately forgetting the lump on his head. "Ramen brings us to your office."

Sakura placed a finger on her chin and pretended to think. "Hmm, that's a shame because I don't think we have any ramen in the hospital."

Naruto took great offense. "Okay, first of all, not what I meant. Second, that's a problem. Any self-respecting hospital should offer ramen because it's the superior meal—"

"It actually contains a lot of common allergens."

"—and _third_ , you know I'm talking about Ichiraku," he concluded. "Dinner at Ichiraku, right now."

Sakura laughed at his persistence, thinking that all this time Naruto was the glue in Team Seven. He was the one who forced them together, in the beginning and even now. Naruto had a funny way of making people feel closer. When he was around, she felt closer to Sasuke too.

"Alright," she agreed. "Let me undo this mess first."

Naruto watched her move a stack of papers and place a few other documents in a filing cabinet. "How do you keep track of all this, anyway?" he asked, scratching his head.

Sakura talked absentmindedly. "Hospital files are over there, everything for the children's clinic is over here, outside patient requests go there."

Naruto folded his arms. "No wonder you have two desks."

"Three," Sasuke corrected.

Sakura looked at Sasuke surprised, almost forgetting that he was in her apartment for a brief two minutes. "That's a study desk," she pointed out. "Doesn't count."

Sasuke responded with an impressively doubtful look. She felt her lips upturn into a smile, about to laugh. But when she heard Naruto rifling through more papers, she turned her attention to him instead, switching from amusement to anger with eerie ease.

"These are patient requests from other villages?" he repeated in disbelief, picking up a folder stuffed with files. "Are they all for you?"

"For me and a few other doctors," Sakura snapped, seizing the stack from him. "And don't look at them. Patient-doctor confidentiality. There was a reason that door was locked," she said meaningfully, locking the papers in yet another file cabinet.

"Why are there so many people coming from other villages?"

"Six months ago we signed a medical agreement with the Allied Nations," Sakura said. "It makes it easier to seek medical treatment abroad."

"Are you serious? Man, how did I miss that. I need to know this stuff when I'm Hokage."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "You were pretty distracted at the time. You were on your honeymoon, actually."

With the last file in her hand, she reached around Sasuke to open a drawer. She assumed he would move back in the chair, but he didn't, and the close proximity caused a light blush across her cheeks. She turned her face to hide it.

"But that's enough about me," Sakura announced, not used to the conversation focusing so heavily on her. "I'm sure you don't want to stand around recapping hospital bureaucracy. Naruto, what about you? How was Sand?"

That was enough to get him started.

Sakura ushered them out of the office and locked the door behind her. As Naruto filled the space with chatter—offering quite a lot of gossip on Shikamaru and Temari's dating life—she looked forward to dinner with the three of them, like old times.

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.

.

As they drew closer to Ichiraku, Sakura became suspicious.

Naruto was giddy, more so than usual.

As soon as the restaurant was in sight, Naruto exploded with excitement. "So I have great news for you, Sasuke."

Already not liking where this was going, Sasuke leveled a glare on Naruto. "What have you done, idiot."

The icy reply did nothing to dim Naruto's high spirits. "Honestly, I'm still really upset that you came back while I was on a mission. I mean, what the hell. You totally ruined our reunion moment."

Sasuke looked thoroughly displeased at the idea of having a "reunion moment" with Naruto.

"You were dead last to see me," Sasuke replied. "Suits you."

Naruto lifted a triumphant finger. "But you see," grinning devilishly, "I'm not the dead last."

Sasuke stopped as if to turn around and leave right then, but Naruto already had his hand on the front door of the newly expanded Ichiraku. No longer a ramen stand, it could fit a crowd inside, and suddenly Sakura knew exactly where this was going.

"Congratulations, Sasuke," the blond announced, radio host style, "and welcome to the Leaf Village Super Fantastic Reunion Party!"

Sasuke's face was made of stone. "I'm not going in there."

"Oh, but you are!"

Naruto shoved him inside.

From her position in the back, Sakura had the perfect view. Sasuke's curled lip, the deafening chorus of "Surprise!" and even the little "Welcome back" banner tacked above their tables.

"Naruto," he muttered, "You shouldn't have."

"I know, I know, I'm the greatest," Naruto beamed.

"No," he growled. "You shouldn't have."

Sakura burst into giggles at the scene. When Sasuke's eyes snapped to her, she froze for a moment. And when a piece of confetti fell onto his raven locks, she erupted into a fresh fit of laughter.

"I'm sorry," she apologizing, wiping tears from her eyes. "But you have confetti in your hair."

Sasuke raked a hand through his hair with a sneer. Little pieces of white, blue, and green confetti fluttered onto his shoulders.

"Come on, Sasuke, don't be such a downer," Naruto said. "It's a party!"

Sakura conceded that it was a nice gesture from Naruto and all, but she couldn't think of a less desirable gift for Sasuke than a brash reunion party.

Everyone greeted Sasuke in loud turns. Naruto pulled Hinata to the front, who was dressed in a pretty lilac blouse, black pants, and strappy sandals.

"And I'd like to introduce you to my beautiful, wonderful wife," Naruto declared, speaking louder with every word. "Hinata Uzumaki."

Ino appeared shortly after. She shook out her smooth, shiny ponytail behind her and said, "Welcome back, Sasuke." She graciously extended her right hand as if waiting for Sasuke to kiss it.

He stared at her blankly. "Ino."

She withdrew her hand, taking on the airs of a woman moved on from childish crushes. "Before you get your hopes up, I want you to know that Sai and I are dating, and I'm officially off the market. Please don't take it too hard."

Sasuke didn't deign that with a reply.

Ino flounced over to Sakura, who was the real reason she came over. "Oh my gosh, Sakura, were you surprised?" she asked gleefully. "I could tell you were. Not to brag, but I pretty much orchestrated this party myself."

Ino paused in her self-congratulation to look Sakura up and down.

"Is this what you wear to a party, Sakura?" she pouted. "It's not very festive."

Ino wore a tight purple dress that showed off her figure. Sakura looked down at her usual red and black attire. She felt pretty drab, she had to admit.

"If you wanted me to dress up, maybe you should have told me _that I was going to a party_ ," Sakura pointed out.

"Fair enough," Ino replied. Then pulling her aside, she whispered, "So? How's Sasuke?"

Sakura stole another look at Sasuke over Ino's shoulder. "Ah," she hesitated. "I guess he's glad to be back. Always hard to tell with him."

"Okay, you know that's not what I meant," Ino retorted. "Seriously, are there _developments_?"

Sakura shifted from one foot to the other. Ino had an uncanny talent for voicing every thought and feeling that Sakura tried her best to ignore.

"You guys had that _moment_ when he left, and now he's back. Are you sure he hasn't dropped any hints?"

Frustration stirred in her gut. "What do you want me to say, Ino?" she returned, trying to keep her voice down. "I don't think so. Let's not talk about this right now."

Ino put her hands on her hips. A sure sign she was about to go off.

"Sakura Haruno," she said, exaggerating the enunciation. "I have been your biggest supporter over the years, from when you were a tiny crybaby to the gorgeous, powerful woman you are now." Her blue eyes looked in earnest. "You have got to get in the game. You've been sighing over Sasuke your whole life, so now that he's back, what are you waiting for?"

"Ino, it's not that simple," Sakura replied, a familiar feeling of helplessness burning in her chest.

"And how is it not that simple?"

"It was easy with you and Sai. You just marched up to him and told him how you felt." Ino tried to cut in, but Sakura persisted. "But I have done that, way more times than I care to admit. I can't do that again with Sasuke."

Ino deflated. "I know, but—"

"Come on, let's go," Sakura pleaded, taking her wrist. "We're missing the party. And you love a party."

"Fine," Ino conceded, "but we're picking this up again later."

At that point, everyone had returned to their tables and begun ordering drinks. Kiba sat at the end of the table, so that Akamaru could lay in the walkway, the only place big enough for him. Naruto was well into his second bowl of ramen, with Hinata gingerly placing a napkin on his lap. Choji was close behind, almost finishing his first. Shino, Sai, Lee, and Tenten were discussing the drink menu, and Shikamaru looked up at nothing at all.

"Pick what up again?" Naruto asked, half-eaten noodles swirling around in his open mouth.

Ino wrinkled her nose. "Picking up the noodles that have fallen from your mouth to the floor." She took a seat beside Kiba, leaving a space open for Sakura, which was conveniently located beside Sasuke.

Well played, Sakura thought.

"Actually Sakura and I were just having a conversation," she continued, elevating her voice, "about how she's a horrible friend and doesn't go out with me anymore."

Sakura replied with an indignant, "That is not true—"

Flipping her ponytail again, nearly hitting Sai in the face, she turned to Sakura and said, "It is _so_ true. All you do is work. You're a beautiful young woman and shouldn't be wasting away your youth at the hospital."

Now she understood Ino's game. She gave her a very purposeful, very threatening look, but Ino carried on regardless.

"There's a fall festival in three weeks, Sakura, and you had better be going."

As Sakura gave her menu and order to the waitress, she said dismissively, "As a matter of fact, I am going."

Sai looked up from his ramen bowl and asked innocently, "So you have a date? Ino says everyone has to have a date for festivals like these."

Naruto started choking on his mouthful of ramen. "Sakura has a date? Who is he? _Why didn't you tell me?_ "

Sakura raised her eyebrows at the extreme levels of melodrama emanating from Naruto. Her sake arrived just in time. "No, I do not, Naruto," she replied, "and you don't need a date to go to a festival." She sipped the first cup of sake, savoring the warm, burning sensation in her throat.

Ino gasped. Her eyes sparkled with betrayal. "Are you going to the festival, Sakura," she said menacingly, "or have you _volunteered_?"

Sakura quietly took another sip of sake.

"But it doesn't count if you're still working!" Ino burst.

Sakura turned to Ino in exasperation. "Ami has been at the hospital every other week with strep throat," she said. "I felt bad for her, so I offered to help set up."

Ino shook her head. "I hope you're at least wearing something pretty. As in something _new_."

"Can we move on to another topic?" she implored, and then addressed the table at large. "Does anyone have anything else to talk about?"

Lee was exactly one drink in and already looked sloshed. "I agree with Ino!" he yelled, standing up and jostling the table, nearly toppling a few drinks. "Youth!" he punctuated, "is a gift! Of passion!" Then he was dragged back to his seat by a furiously whispering Tenten.

Ino was undeterred. "At least come shopping with me and Hina next week. We're getting new kimonos."

Naruto looked at Hinata with hurt eyes. "You mean you're not wearing the orange kimono I got you?"

Hinata winced and pulled at her long black locks. "Um," she stammered, "you see, Naruto—"

Ino interjected, "Hinata will be sporting two kimonos for the evening," with a tone of finality.

And then blessedly, Tenten asked where the best kimono shops were, and the ladies of the table were briefly occupied by another topic. Shikamaru rested his cheek in his palm and muttered something about troublesome festivals. His voice perked up Ino, who found it the perfect opportunity to grill Shikamaru on his relationship with Temari. All in all, it sparked a table-wide discussion on everyone's relationships, who was dating who and who was getting engaged.

Sakura sank into her seat with relief, finally settling into her bowl of ramen and, for the most part, just listening as everyone gossiped excitedly around the table.

Now that she was no longer the focus of Ino's laser-like attention, she became aware of Sasuke's still presence beside her. They were sitting close enough that she could feel a bit of heat radiate from his right arm to hers.

As he finished his bowl of ramen and placed it neatly to the side, his right elbow brushed against her arm. It was such a simple thing, but her instinctual response was that this was not right. Naruto was the one who elbowed her on the right side, Sasuke on the left. During their Team Seven days, Sakura always insisted on sitting in the middle. The only drawback was the way they both stole her elbow space with their opposite, dominant hands.

She spent so many years training to bring Sasuke back, and yet never gave a thought to what it would be like when he returned. He was still undeniably the Sasuke she remembered, but somehow everything seemed different. The expression in his eyes, the relaxed set of his shoulders—all new, all unexpected. Something was different this time. An unfamiliar feeling bloomed in her stomach, one that she didn't dare name.

Sasuke noticed her stare and turned to her.

She asked quietly, if not sheepishly, "Are you enjoying yourself, Sasuke?"

When he looked at her, his eyes were black and intense. This close she could see his dark, sooty eyelashes and the slightest expression of amusement. "Are you?" he murmured.

His knowing gaze drowned out the noise around them, and it was like everything disappeared except the way he looked at her and the way she looked at him. She opened her mouth—to say what, she wasn't sure—but an uproar at the table dispelled the moment between them.

Kakashi had just walked in the door, and everyone roared in greeting.

"Kakashi, you made it!" Naruto shouted.

He nodded at Sasuke first, saying, "I certainly couldn't miss your reunion party, Sasuke. I trust that you're relishing the experience."

"Kakashi," Sasuke greeted, saying nothing else.

Everyone shifted to make room for the Hokage, and Sakura found herself about two inches closer to Sasuke than before. Ino spared her a quick, suggestive look. Sakura shot her a warning glare. She was now determined not to engage in any private discussions with Sasuke, knowing full well that the close proximity would embarrass her.

That proved difficult.

Kakashi managed to get Sasuke to say a few words about one of his last missions. It didn't involve White Zetsu or anything confidential, just a rogue ninja who had been on the run since before the Fourth Great Ninja War. It was a high profile case, and by apprehending the ninja, Sasuke earned the Leaf no small sum of reward money.

"And so in thanks of your hard work, Sasuke," Kakashi said, raising his sake, "the next round's on me."

The table cheered, and more drinks circulated. Sakura caught Naruto whispering urgently, "But dinner's on you too, right? We talked about this."

Sakura couldn't help the smile that spread across her face. "Such a cheapskate," she laughed. "That's how he has all that money."

She felt more than heard the quick rumble of laughter from Sasuke's chest. Forgetting her earlier resolve, she turned to Sasuke and caught the smirk curving the corner of his lips. She felt very pleased with herself until she shifted her gaze up from his lips to his eyes, and a blush colored her cheeks.

Sakura snapped away as if scalded, and then cursed herself for not playing it off more smoothly. Her heart started racing in her chest as she got more flustered. She was in the middle of lecturing herself when Ino, past tipsy at this point, poured her another cup of sake.

"I challenge you," she drawled, "to a competition. A drinking competition."

Sakura batted her away. "Okay, sure, you do."

Sai cut in with a tone of utmost helpfulness. "Ino, the last time you engaged with Sakura in a drinking competition, you specifically asked me to stop you if you ever attempted it again."

"I can take her," Ino bragged.

"That is precisely what you said last time." Sai smiled. "Don't feel bad about it. Alongside her monstrous strength, Ugly has a very high tolerance for alcohol."

Sakura's eye twitched at Sai's old nickname for her. "Would you like me to use my monstrous strength," smiling deceptively, "to shut your mouth, Sai?"

On the other side of the table, Ino's mention of a drinking competition had caught on. Kiba and Naruto were heatedly discussing teams.

"I call Sakura!" Naruto screamed.

"That's not fair!" Kiba yelled back. "If you get Sakura, then you have to take Lee."

"Bushy brow?" Naruto wailed. "But he's already asleep," he said, looking helplessly at the pile of green jumpsuit flopped on Tenten's shoulder.

Sakura rolled her eyes. "You'll have to pick someone else, Naruto."

"What! Why would you want to be on that mutt's team instead of mine?" he protested.

"I'm not on either team," she said, standing up. "Sorry guys, I need to head out. Surgery in the morning."

Sasuke stood up. "I'm leaving too."

Naruto threw his napkin on the table. "I can't believe you guys are bailing. But you know what, fine, me and Sai can lead Team Seven to victory by ourselves!"

While everyone went back to discussing teams, Sakura and Sasuke walked outside. The streetlights glowed against the night sky, bathing the road in warm yellow. Compared to the thunderous party inside, the streets were quiet.

Amazed to find herself alone with Sasuke yet again, she was about to say goodnight and part ways. Then the door swung open, and Naruto barged between them.

"Wait, before you go," he said, leaning off-balance against the doorframe, "let's meet up tomorrow. You said you had a lot of painting to do, right, Sasuke? We can help with that."

Sasuke looked ready to protest, but Naruto continued with a new, meaningful tone.

"Yeah, yeah, you can do it yourself," Naruto dismissed. "But Team Seven is back in the village! It doesn't matter what we're doing, but we need to spend more time together."

The two exchanged a look.

Sasuke sighed and muttered, "Fine."

"Great!" Naruto said. "Alright, you guys have a good night. Sasuke, you're walking her home, right?"

"Oh, that's really not necessary," Sakura countered. "We're on opposite ends of the village."

"Nonsense, Sakura," the blonde smiled. "Sasuke would be happy to keep you company on your way home. Right, Sasuke?"

Sasuke had already started walking away in the direction of her apartment.

"See?" Naruto said, backing into the restaurant again. "Catch you guys tomorrow!"

Sakura fell into step with Sasuke. Feeling embarrassed, she said, "Sorry about that."

He grunted. "Sorry about what?"

They lapsed into silence on the way to her apartment, which wasn't more than ten minutes away, thankfully. She thought he would say goodbye once they reached her building, but he walked her up the stairs to her door.

"I know this probably wasn't how you wanted to spend your night," she said, "but we're all really glad you're back."

Maybe it was the soft overhead lights, but there was something in his eyes as he looked at her.

"Goodnight," she said, hardly above a whisper.

He nodded and then turned away. "Get some sleep, Sakura."

Sakura entered her apartment and rested against the door behind her. She pressed her cold hand against her heated face, wondering if she could possibly blame a single cup of sake for the warm fluttering sensations in the pit of her stomach.

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* * *

 **A/N.** Ah, Team Seven, good times. Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Again thank you all for the favorites and reviews. :)


	4. Chapter 4

The next day Sakura ran straight from the hospital to the Uchiha district. She had gotten so caught up in work that she forgot the time. An early surgery, a budget presentation at lunch, and patients in between.

When she reached the front gate, she walked in and spotted Naruto haphazardly slinging paint on a bare wall.

"Naruto!" she exclaimed. "What are you doing?"

"I'm painting, what else?" he replied. He slapped the paint roller against the wall once more, just as Sasuke turned the corner of the house. Sasuke twitched as a speckle of paint hit him on the cheek.

"You're supposed to be helping how?" he said with a withering glare.

"Do you want to paint all this yourself? Yeah, I didn't think so," Naruto said. He turned to Sakura as she walked up to them. "I'm so glad you're here because this bastard is no fun to hang out with."

Sakura laughed at Naruto's quick change of mind since last night.

Then Naruto looked her up and down. "New clothes?"

She glanced at her navy blue sweatshirt, emblazoned with the Leaf symbol on the front, and her black shorts and ninja sandals. "These are my painting clothes," she said simply, and sure enough there were paint splotches from the previous painting she had done in the Uchiha district. "You know you're going to get paint all over that orange jumpsuit, right?"

"No, I'm not!"

Sakura pointed at an area beside his knee.

"Ah, man," he groaned.

She shook her head at the shoddy paint job he was doing. "And look at this, it'll be so uneven," she said, taking the paint roller and demonstrating. "You want it nice and even, and you can't let it trickle down like that. Big 'w' motions. Got it?"

Naruto nodded thoughtfully. "I see what you're doing, Sakura, but that also looks pretty slow."

Sasuke was scoffing so often throughout this conversation that Sakura half-worried he was getting a cold.

"But if there were ten of me," Naruto schemed, "this would go a lot faster."

Naruto weaved his fingers together and created nine shadow clones in an instant, who all rallied at his call for the fastest painting session in ninja history.

Sasuke closed his eyes in utter exhaustion. "I did not ask for this."

Sakura propped her hand on her hip. "Naruto, we only have six rollers."

Ten Narutos groaned. Six of them disappeared in a puff of smoke, and Naruto shrugged to the remaining shadow clones. "Guess it's just us, guys. Let's get it done!" They grabbed paint and rollers, and fanned out.

"Might just be my ninja senses," Sakura remarked, "but I don't have a good feeling about this."

Sasuke looked at her. "I give it ten minutes."

Studying under Tsunade influenced her in more ways than one. Sakura's eyes gleamed, and she said, "You're on. I give it five."

As Sakura focused on finishing the wall Naruto had abandoned, she kept her ears open for the sound of disaster. She knew it was coming. But oh, when it came, it was better than she could have imagined.

The team of Narutos had just finished one newly constructed wall when they began fighting about which house to paint next. Two Narutos laid hands on the can of paint and tugged. They strained backwards, pulling as hard as they could, and lost balance.

As if in slow motion, Sakura watched the can fly out of their grip, and a wave of paint launch into the air.

It splattered all over Sasuke, hitting him directly in the chest and covering his black shirt with beige paint.

For a second, Sakura's jaw fell open, and she watched Sasuke look down at his shirt and raise murderous eyes to Naruto.

"Out," he ground with clenched teeth. "Leave, now."

At this point, Sakura could not contain the hysterical laughter bubbling in her throat. If seeing Sasuke at a party with confetti in his hair was a comical sight, then she had no chance of withstanding the combination of Sasuke's death glare with the gentle plop of paint sliding from his clothes onto the ground. It was too much.

Sakura grabbed her aching stomach from laughing so hard.

Sasuke scowled at her.

"That took more than five minutes," she said, between laughter, "but I'd say I still won."

All the Naruto shadow clones disappeared, leaving the real Naruto incriminatingly standing next to the empty paint can. "It was an accident, Sasuke," he said, backing away slowly. "Honest."

"Go!" Sasuke growled, and Naruto fled the scene.

Now that they were alone, Sakura tried to regain her composure. One spare giggle slipped past her lips, and Sasuke sent her a half-hearted glare.

"It's probably good that it happened sooner rather than later," she said, attempting to be helpful.

Sasuke rolled his eyes and then grabbed the edge of his shirt. He pulled it over his head, turning it inside out as he did so, trying to avoid getting any more paint on himself. He made the motion look smooth, even with one hand. She supposed he'd had two years of practice.

Sakura was an adult now. She had seen lots of men in varying degrees of undress—although it was always in a medical setting—and Sasuke was not the only attractive man she had ever seen. But he was the _most_ attractive one. In the back of her mind, she did register the truncated length of his left arm. It wasn't like she didn't see it. It just didn't matter. To her, he would always be Sasuke. He would always win in every category. His dark eyes, handsome face. His muscular shoulders and the way his black pants hung low across his hips. Very, very different from the last time she had seen him shirtless years ago on Team Seven.

She tried to shut out the feelings of desire. It was uncomfortable, having those thoughts for someone who didn't think of her the same way.

"I'm going to get another shirt," Sasuke grumbled, walking away.

Sakura breathed a sigh of relief. She pressed her hands against her burning cheeks and commanded herself to get it together. She was not a schoolgirl anymore. The simple sight of him shirtless should not be the cause of so much distress.

As she waited for Sasuke to return, she realized that Naruto had left her in a bit of a predicament. Was she supposed to stay or leave? After a minute of reflection, she decided that she would leave Sasuke to himself. She wasn't involved in the Uchiha project anymore, and now that Naruto was gone, it wasn't a team outing.

Sasuke returned in a few minutes. He wore another plain black shirt, although it looked gray with age. He was walking from the direction of his old house.

Sakura was struck with a sobering thought. It was likely Itachi's or his father's.

She looked down at her paint roller with a change of heart. She put a smile on her face when he came back. "You're safe from any more paint attacks, I promise," she assured, light-hearted.

Sasuke grunted, which was usually his way of acknowledging, but not quite laughing, at a joke. "You don't have to help with this, you know."

She dipped her roller and started painting again. "Yeah, I know," she replied softly, then brightened. "But it'll be done twice as fast with two of us."

As Sasuke collected what he needed, she stepped back to look at the color.

"It looks good, right?" she mused. "You can get custom paint now, so that it looks aged and matches the rest of the walls."

"A lot of effort for paint color," Sasuke replied.

She shrugged. "If we're going to do it, then we should do it right." That slip of her tongue, that significant _we_ , lingered between them.

"Ah."

They painted until sunset. Several months ago Sakura's arms would have ached, but now she had what Michio called painter's arms.

She and Sasuke walked to the front. He surprised her when he spoke first.

"How was surgery?" he asked, looking nonchalant with not a speck of paint on him. Sakura, on the other hand, had a few new splotches on her forearms and sweatshirt.

"Oh, it was fine," she said. "We removed a borderline mucinous tumor from someone's colon," she trailed, berating herself for going from a shirtless Sasuke scenario to bringing up noncancerous colon tumors.

"That's one way to start your morning," Sasuke replied wryly.

Sakura stole a pleased look at him. They had actual conversations these days. As simple as that seemed, she and Sasuke had come a long way in their relationship, since the days he could barely stand to be around her.

Emboldened by the warmth of that thought, Sakura turned to him when they reached the main road and asked, "Same time tomorrow?"

He nodded. "See you."

She started to walk away to hide the slow, small smile on her face. "See you, Sasuke."

.

.

.

That was their routine for the next week and a half. Sakura left work to meet Sasuke at the Uchiha compound, and they would paint until the sun went down. They talked occasionally, but most of the time they worked in companionable silence.

Sasuke seemed reluctant to accept her continued help, but eventually gave in.

Midway into the project, Sakura decided one day to surprise Sasuke with takeout. It had always cheered up the guys at Takashi Construction. But allowing for Sasuke's more restricted palette, she opted for plain rice balls.

She trotted through the main entrance happily, and then picked up the sound of a hammer not far off. She turned down two alleys and spotted Sasuke, sitting casually on an outside deck with one leg bent and the other hanging off the edge into the grass. He hammered down another loose nail. He had become so familiar and trained with his weaker arm that he looked at perfect ease. But for Sakura, it was like seeing a mirrored reflection of him. She imagined a younger Sasuke in their early genin days, yanking up weeds and walking dogs with his now missing left hand.

Sasuke lazily flicked his gaze up to her. "Sakura," he said, his usual greeting.

"Good afternoon, Sasuke," she replied cheerily. "How are you?"

"Fine," he replied.

Courtesy was never his strong point.

"What's in the bag," he asked suspiciously.

Sakura took a seat beside him and opened the bag between them. "I have a surprise for you," she said, smiling widely. "Rice balls. I thought we could take a break later and eat them."

When she looked up from the contents of the bag, she met Sasuke's gaze, which hadn't shifted from her. He seemed to notice and looked away.

"I'm surprised you chose something sensible," he remarked with dry humor.

"You mean something boring," she scoffed. "I only got them because you like them. You should be more appreciative, Sasuke." She crossed her arms haughtily for effect.

"Thank you," he said.

Sakura tried to hide her surprise. "That's more like it," she said playfully, as she stood up and patted off the dust from her shorts. "I should get started on the window," she segued, "before it gets dark."

They didn't discuss it, but Sakura took on the few construction projects that remained. She took the new window pane into her hands and hoisted it into the opening. As a shinobi, even without his dominant hand, Sasuke was at a level that most of the ninja world could never hope to reach. And yet it was still a sacrifice that affected his daily life. Sakura fought against her doctor's instincts to bring up a prosthetic arm like Naruto's. Before he left the village, Sasuke chose not to regain his arm. He had his reasons, and she respected that.

He could use his Susanoo arm, she thought, chuckling at the idea of the shadowy spectacle being used for home repairs.

When it became dark, Sakura laid down the paint roller and wiped her forearm against her damp forehead. "Let's call it a day," she said. "Are you hungry?"

They sat together on a deck, listening to the balmy night breeze rustle the grass, and munching contentedly on rice balls. Sakura closed her eyes, savoring the peace of the moment. For the first time in what felt like forever, she took a deep breath, relaxed her shoulders, and focused on the distant sounds of the village, people chatting and laughing. The quiet sounds of her companion.

"I'm going on missions again," Sasuke said, his voice like a low rumble in his chest.

Sakura turned at the unexpected announcement. She lowered her hand with the rice ball down to her lap. "So soon?" she said.

"Ah."

A long pause, and Sakura thought he would leave it at that.

"I don't know if Kakashi told you," he said, still looking away from her, toward the streetlights above the village. "I'm looking into Kaguya's other dimensions."

Sakura suddenly lost her appetite. The memory of Kaguya, the rabbit-eared goddess, the progenitor of chakra, sent a cold chill down her spine. "Why?" she asked, at a loss for words.

"I don't know," he said, struggling like she was, unsure how to articulate his suspicions. "I've been thinking about White Zetsu and wondering why Kaguya created them in the first place. It doesn't make sense to me."

Something in his voice saddened her. A wash of terrible isolation came over her as she considered Sasuke's role in all of this. She had, foolishly, selfishly, thought his journey of atonement was over. But a man like Sasuke, a ninja with his eyes, couldn't live in peace with the rest of the village, not when he was the only shinobi alive with the ability to travel across Kaguya's dimensions.

She felt unmistakable pride in how far he had come, at what he was willing to do to protect the village. And yet she looked down at her lap with a deep, worried frown.

"You're the only one with the Rinnegan," Sakura began clumsily, softly, as the wind threatened to swallow her voice. "But I hope you don't feel like you're doing it alone—"

Her cellphone vibrated against her thigh.

Sakura bit back a curse at the poor timing. No one called her at this time of night except for the hospital in the case of an emergency surgery. She reluctantly dropped the conversation with Sasuke to answer the phone with a clipped and efficient, "Yes. I understand. I'll be right there."

She ended the call and spared an apologetic look to Sasuke.

"I'm sorry, there's an emergency at the hospital, I really have to go," she said, pushing off the deck onto her feet. "I'll see you later, Sasuke." She spun on her heel to leave, but Sasuke reached out and caught her wrist.

"Wait," he instructed.

He stood up and reached his arm around her waist, pulling her firmly toward his chest. Sakura uttered his name in surprise, but before she could comprehend the proximity, Sasuke was already letting her go, smoothly stepping away. She blinked and realized that he had transported them to the roof of the hospital.

Sakura stammered out a flustered thank you.

"It's nothing," he countered. "Goodnight, Sakura," and he disappeared.

She looked disbelievingly where he had just stood, shook her head, and went inside. She struggled to clear her mind and concentrate on the task at hand—removing a very fatal, very unstable poison from an injured ninja. As sweat beaded on the back of her neck, she captured slivers of poison and drew them out with her chakra. It took round after round to draw it all out. With every sweep, she found another trace of it. The procedure felt endless.

Would it be like this for Sasuke, she wondered. Would they ever achieve the peace they had fought for?

She furrowed her brow and infused more chakra, pouring herself into the procedure, dragging out never-ending threads of poison, and willing it to be the last.

.

.

.

The next morning, at her usual time, Sakura's alarm clock went off. A hand flew out of the bedsheets and slapped the off button with enough force to shatter the screen. She groaned, face first into the pillows. She allowed herself thirty seconds of complaining before finally sitting up in bed and hauling herself into the shower.

Last night the surgery ran long, and Sakura stayed at the hospital until she was sure the patient was stable. She had never encountered that poison before and wasn't sure how it would affect the patient after extraction.

With only three hours of sleep, Sakura made herself a hasty breakfast and then reported to the hospital for her shift. She had several patients lined up for appointments, as well as a guest lecture scheduled for the interns. It wasn't until the very end of the day that she retired to her office. She stifled a yawn as she opened the door. She was so tired that she didn't even realize the door was unlocked.

Sasuke sat reclining in her desk chair.

She blinked twice to make sure she wasn't dreaming.

"Sasuke," she said. "What are you doing here?"

He looked up from a report in his hand, so at home that Sakura almost felt like she was bursting into his office instead. "Naruto says you run the hospital," he remarked, bypassing her question. "Can't you arrange your schedule however you want?"

Sakura floundered slightly at his line of questioning. She closed the door behind her and settled her papers onto the desk. She assumed he was referring to the fact that she reported to work early as usual, despite the late night emergency surgery.

She rubbed the back of her neck. "Oh, um, I had a really full schedule today." She moved closer to Sasuke and craned her neck to see the paper he was holding. "What are you looking at? It better not say confidential at the top."

Sasuke snorted. "I'm not Naruto."

He laid it on the desk, and Sakura recognized the information from her presentation on the clinic's last year of success.

"Looks like it's doing well," Sasuke stated, rather like a fact considering he had just seen the numbers on it.

Sakura nodded modestly. In front of a council or hospital committee, Sakura could give an articulate, passionate speech on the children's mental health clinic at any time of the day. But for some reason, in front of Sasuke, she felt sheepish espousing the importance of the next generation. It was their responsibility to take care of them, not just their bodies, but also their minds. She felt shy because so much of that instinct had come from Sasuke himself. She could never rid herself of the mental image of Sasuke as a child, angry and alone. The clinic could never replace any of the children's parents who were lost during the Fourth Great Ninja War. But she wanted to help them, however she could, so that they wouldn't feel quite so alone.

Sakura fiddled with the stack of papers she had set down, flicking through the crisp edges.

"Ah, Sasuke," she began, "about painting tonight, I need to finish a few things before we go."

Sasuke nodded and stood up from her desk. He slid by her, brushing against her arm for lack of space. Sakura tucked her hair behind her ear at the tingling sensation he left. She took her seat, ready to say goodbye, when he stopped at her bookshelf instead of the door. He plucked a hardback off the shelf and settled into the chair against the window. He leaned back and propped one leg up on the other.

Sakura's mouth fell open for a moment. "Oh, Sasuke, you don't need to wait for me. I can meet you there—"

"It's fine," he answered, eyes not leaving the page.

Sakura opened her mouth, closed it. "Alright then," she conceded. "I might be a half-hour."

As the sun hovered softly above the forest horizon, the office was lit with a warm glow. In this area of the hospital, it was quiet and cool. The only sounds were her pen against paper and the turning pages of Sasuke's book as he read.

How bizarre, was all she could think.

Was this what intimacy felt like?

When they worked at the Uchiha compound in the evenings, they were spread out, often at different houses. Now they were in such close quarters, not speaking, not working on a project, just opting to pass the time together. She could hear his soft inhales and exhales. Every so often her gaze strayed to his dark figure, where he looked so serious and dedicated in his reading.

Sakura pulled her mind back to work again. Her presentation on the clinic was successful, and they received the funding she requested. Now it was time to reconfigure the budget and also assign raises to all of the counselors, who were worth far more than their current pay in Sakura's eyes. She also needed to allot funds for hiring. Once they moved into the new wing, they could hire two or three more counselors.

Sakura was happy to do the work and happy with their achievements. She was just so tired that she couldn't stop rubbing her eyes every few line items. After thirty minutes, Sakura leaned back in her chair and kneaded the knots forming in her right shoulder.

"Hey Sasuke," she said, "you should go on without me. I have more to do than I realized."

Sasuke flicked a single look at her, then returned to his book. "I'll wait."

Sakura gave him a puzzled stare as she said, "Alright. It'll be another half-hour, I think."

It ended up taking another hour. By the time Sakura arranged the papers into a neat stack and locked them in her desk, the sun had already disappeared below the horizon, the sky fading into deeper shades of blue.

"Sorry about tonight, Sasuke," she said. "It's too late to head over now."

Sasuke snapped the book shut. "It's fine."

As she gathered her things and walked to the door, she asked, "Will you head home for the night then?"

Sasuke didn't answer, instead pointedly looking at her appearance with a raised eyebrow.

She hastily took off her doctor's coat and laughed. "I've made it all the way home before and not noticed," she joked.

They drifted into the hallway, and Sakura locked the door after them. Sasuke looked up at the ceiling as he said, "You don't take many breaks, do you?"

Pocketing the keys, Sakura wrinkled her brow. "What do you mean?"

"Between the hospital, the clinic," he listed, "helping me."

"You can't count the last one, I volunteered for that," Sakura countered cheekily. After a moment, she shrugged and responded more fully. "I love what I do, so I don't mind." She smiled at her feet as they walked to the front lobby. "In a way, it feels like we're still on Team Seven. You, me, Naruto, we all have our different jobs to take care of the village."

Sasuke looked at her thoughtfully.

"And this is mine," she finished with a soft smile.

The night receptionist perked up when she spotted the pair. She said goodnight to _Lady Sakura_ with a sly tone, as she eyed the companion at her side. Moments like these, and a million others, made Sakura curse with embarrassment. She hoped Sasuke didn't notice the way people reacted to them, mostly Ino, with obvious implications in their eyes.

They stepped outside, and Sakura's arms prickled with the chill air.

"Let's eat out," Sasuke said, surprising her.

She blinked uncomprehendingly at the sudden suggestion.

"You look too tired to cook," he clarified.

Sakura laughed self-consciously. He was exactly right that on days like these, she hardly bothered with dinner and went straight to bed. She opened her mouth to say yes, feeling butterflies in her stomach. In the same breath, she spotted a falcon circling overhead.

So did Sasuke. He glared at the thing beckoning him to the Hokage's Office. When he returned his gaze to her, there was something of bitterness on his lips.

"Ah," he said, for the first time in his life drawing out an answer, staring off somewhere right above her shoulder. "Never mind," he muttered. "Sorry."

"That's okay," Sakura assured, taken aback at his clear expression of frustration. "Say hi to Kakashi for me. And tell him to answer my emails," she added, trying to lighten the mood. Mostly she wanted to mask her disappointment.

Sasuke turned around and held up a hand in silent goodbye.

She watched him leave for a moment, then hurried to her apartment for a cup of tea, a shower, and sleep.

.

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* * *

 **A/N.** A couple of you asked if there were any Sasuke POV chapters. Right now, the answer is no. But . . . because I love you all, I'm considering adding a ninth "bonus chapter" from Sasuke's POV. No guarantees, but I'll work on it :). This happened with _Variance_ too, and I ended up really enjoying the Sasuke POV chapters!


	5. Chapter 5

Sasuke was gone from the village for several days on a mission. When she visited Kakashi on hospital business, he told her that the land of Waves requested his help with a rogue ninja, but nothing else.

Sakura exhaled a deep sigh as she finished her morning duties. She walked back to her office to eat a quick lunch. On her way, she spotted Mari, a five-year-old from the children's clinic, kneeling at a table and coloring.

"Mari?" Sakura called, walking over. "Why aren't you at the academy?"

Mari ducked her head down, purple hair falling in great frizzy waves around her face. "I'm about to see Dr. Hato," she said at length.

Sakura kneeled beside her. "Mari, I know you come on Thursdays," she contradicted. "What are you doing here during school? Is something wrong?"

Mari stopped coloring, brown crayon in hand, and stared at the scene in front of her. "Everyone makes fun of my hair," she murmured in distress. "Why can't I have normal hair?" she asked, gesturing at the little girl she had colored with straight brown hair.

Thinking of her own academy years with her over-sized forehead, Sakura was overcome with compassion. "Oh, sweetie," she said, placing a hand on Mari's shoulder. "There's absolutely nothing wrong with your hair."

Mari gave her a fiercely depressed look. "It's purple and big and ugly," she deadpanned, little mouth curling in displeasure.

"And what is wrong with purple hair?" Sakura returned, signaling her own pink strands. "Uncommon hair colors are lucky."

Mari looked unconvinced.

"I swear it," she pressed.

Mari turned her mouth to the side, as if she were mulling it over. But she made no move to go back to the academy.

Sakura took a gentle tone when she said, "And wasn't your mother's hair purple?"

Mari looked at her, wide-eyed and sad beneath her purple fringe. Her mother, a ninja like her father, died in the Fourth Great Ninja War, as so many other parents did in that time.

"I know it's hard to be teased, I was too," she said. "But your hair is beautiful. And it's something that you and your mother share. Something you can keep of her."

After a pause, Mari folded up her coloring book and got to her feet.

Sakura perked up. "So you'll go back to school?"

She clutched her coloring book to her chest and shrugged. "I guess so."

Sakura couldn't leave her like that. "Do you want me to walk with you? I can tell your teachers where you were."

Mari nodded vigorously, though still staring at her laced-up sneakers.

And so Sakura left the hospital in the bright early afternoon sun, and squinted. Walking in the crowded village streets, everyone laughing and milling around, was rejuvenating though. As they walked, Mari held her hand. Sakura did her best to pull her out of her shell, asking questions about her schoolwork and her friends.

It was at this moment, when she least expected it, that she ran into Sasuke.

He wasn't due to return to the village for another three days. But the man always operated on his own time.

He was walking coolly into the village, most likely heading to the Hokage's Office. He wore a black cloak over his similarly black clothing, with a travel bag strapped across his torso. His blade, Kusanagi, hung at his hip, just barely visible beneath his cloak.

When Sakura spotted him, she had the distinct feeling that he had been watching her for some time. Surprise was still registering on her face, but Sasuke, on the other hand, seemed to be deep in thought. He looked at them, or rather through them.

"Sasuke?" she called. Even though she needed to return Mari to the academy, she couldn't walk by him without speaking. "You're back early."

He stopped in front of them. "Ah."

Towering above both of them, especially Mari, he craned his neck to look down at her. Sakura thought his gaze caught on Mari's little hand grasping onto three of her fingers.

"This is Mari," Sakura explained. "I'm taking her back to the academy."

Mari straightened her back, very prim and proper, evidently not liking the way Sakura painted her as just a little kid. "I had an appointment," she said matter-of-factly, looking very grown-up as she did so.

Sakura pressed her lips together to avoid laughing.

Sasuke's mouth curved in silent amusement as he met Sakura's gaze.

She could not explain it, but the softness in his expression made her stomach flutter.

"I'm going to see Kakashi," he said.

Trying to repress the fluttering sensations, Sakura slipped into her clinical instincts. "Remember to visit the hospital," she ordered. "It's protocol now after _every_ mission."

In peace time, there was luxury for that sort of thing.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Fine. I'll see you after work," and he left.

Sakura glanced at him over her shoulder, thinking that she didn't specify he needed to see _her_ for his check-up.

The two of them carried on to the academy. Mari tugged at her hand and dropped her head back to reveal big, curious eyes. "Is he your boyfriend?" she asked.

"N-No," Sakura stammered. "Sasuke and I are teammates."

"And does he think your hair is beautiful?"

Sakura turned pink. "What makes you ask that?"

"You said uncommon hair colors were lucky and beautiful," Mari reminded helpfully. "So does he think your hair is beautiful?"

Sakura looked straight ahead, feeling as though she'd been trapped by a five-year-old. She answered in the affirmative, growing a deeper shade of red at every moment.

After Sakura dropped off Mari and explained the situation to her teachers, she walked back to the hospital wondering how in the world she would manage such a grown-up little thing, if she were ever a mother.

Near the end of the day, she found Sasuke in her office, just as he said. This time he was sitting in the chair by the window, not at her desk. He was reading again. She glanced at the title.

"Interested in chakra disorders?" she asked, setting down her papers and clipboard.

Sasuke flipped the book shut. "Didn't know they existed," he replied.

"It's a new discovery of sorts," she explained, leaning against her desk. "It's a little like the nervous system. If you sustain a major injury, it can change the way your chakra network functions. Or stop it from functioning at all."

"Can you fix it?"

"There's not much research on it," she said. "I have a patient from Lightning who lost control of the chakra of his legs. He comes every couple of months for rehabilitation."

She continued, mostly talking to herself.

"I like doing rehab, actually. It's nice to see patients regain what they've lost, whether it's their physical mobility or their chakra mobility."

She realized she was blathering on with zero input from Sasuke and shook her head at her absent-mindedness.

"Sorry," she laughed, pushing off the desk. "I should be giving you a check-up, and instead I'm standing here rambling."

Sasuke shrugged. "It's fine."

"Here, if you'll sit on the desk," she said, gesturing, "I can give you a quick check-up."

Sasuke did not sit on the desk. Rather he leaned passively against the edge. The only problem was that left Sakura standing somewhat in between his legs, and she fought hard not to blush. For God's sake, she had already blushed at a silly conversation with a five-year-old that day.

Sakura channeled healing chakra into her hands and lightly skimmed her palms down the length of his torso, scanning major organs for damage or distress. It was purely precautionary, and she could tell from the look of him that he was perfectly fine. Only the shadows under his eyes showed fatigue.

"Having you been using your eyes?" she asked, lowering and softening her voice even though she didn't know why. Maybe it was the closeness between them or the fact that she could see each eyelash when she met his gaze.

Sasuke hummed an affirmative.

"Close your eyes," she instructed.

She lifted green-cloaked fingertips to his temples, infusing a gentle wave of chakra into his eyes and the surrounding muscles. She could feel the exhaustion and tension. She sent another careful wave of cooling chakra, and she saw his shoulders slump with relaxation. The wrinkles around his eyes smoothed. With her chakra blending into his, she thought she could even feel his swirling, massive chakra become still and calm beneath her fingertips.

For a terrible moment, Sakura watched his relaxed face. Her heart twisted at the sight of his peaceful expression. And it hit her, the open trust he gave her, allowing her to infuse chakra into his eyes, his kekkei genkai, a power the whole world would try to steal or destroy if they could.

She had allowed herself to keep healing, beyond what he needed. But now she forced herself to pull away and take a complete step back from him. The front of her shirt remained warm with the heat of him.

What a stupid thing to do, she thought to herself.

Sasuke opened his eyes as if he were waking from a dream.

God, he was making it worse.

"Have you never had your eyes healed?" she asked, looking away from him, ashamed at the way her heart burned at the merest, smallest amount of pleasure on his face.

"No," he replied, almost dazedly, "I haven't."

"I'm sure you get a lot of headaches too, from the strain on your eyes." She looked down at her toes. "You can just ask, you know," and trailed off. Then she was embarrassed again and barreled ahead. "Anyway, you're fine, so the check-up's complete."

Sasuke nodded but didn't move from his spot.

Sakura was compelled to fill the silence and hush her private thoughts. "Are you tired from your mission? You should probably go home and sleep."

"No, it's still early. I'm about to head to the compound."

"Oh, that's right," she said, "there's still painting to do. We were almost finished, right?"

"Yeah, I could probably finish it today."

A pause.

Sasuke breathed in and said, slightly quicker than usual, "You can come, and I'll buy dinner. For helping."

Was this a date? She laughed and deflected. "You forget that Naruto helped. You won't buy him dinner too?"

Sasuke snorted. "And thank him for what, dumping paint on me?"

Sakura laughed heartily at the memory. "In that case, I should be buying him dinner," she teased, "as thanks."

He grumped. "Tch."

Once Sakura collected her things, they headed to the Uchiha compound. On the way there, Sasuke asked her where she liked to eat. She chose a restaurant that she often frequented when she would bring the guys at Takashi Construction takeout food. The waitress remembered her. After they ordered entrees, she asked, "And six orders of dango?"

Sakura blushed and purposefully did not look at Sasuke, who was giving her a look. "Just one," she said meekly.

At the compound, they sat on a back deck, as they always did. They opened up the takeout bags and distributed the food between them. They sat together peacefully, and Sakura was struck at how comfortable they had become in each other's presence. Except when she was flustered of course.

Sakura leaned back on her hands and gave out a sigh of contentment when she finished eating. "Thank you, Sasuke," she said playfully. "I think you've discovered an effective method of bribery for me."

He smirked. "Just imagine if I'd bought you six orders of dango."

Sakura shoved at his shoulder in mock anger and then stood up. She still had a smile and a laugh on her lips. "Alright, enough. Let's get back to work, so we can be done painting, okay?"

They painted for a couple of hours and finished right as the sun reached the treetops. They packed all the painting materials into one of the houses, and they were done. Sakura wiped the sweat off her forehead with the back of her hand. She felt a strange sense of finality as their project came to a close. For the two of them, it had been a couple of weeks. But for Sakura, it had been months in the making. And she and Sasuke had just started to really get along.

They walked back to the entrance. She pulled out her low ponytail and combed through the loose strands.

"So when is the housing inspection?" she asked.

"Next week."

They reached the main road and stopped. The next question was on the tip of her tongue—if he'd decided what to do with the Uchiha district—but he continued on.

"Naruto wants us over for dinner tomorrow," he muttered. "At seven-thirty."

Since Naruto and Hinata's wedding, Sakura had been over for dinner several times. But this time she felt a stirring of anticipation.

"I'll pick you up at seven."

Sakura colored. "Okay. I'll see you then."

.

.

.

The next evening, she rushed home in time to shower and change. Hair freshly washed, standing in her towel, she picked through her closet, taking out items just to put them back in. She had a limited supply of civilian clothes, to Ino's great dissatisfaction. Eventually she plucked out a pink v-neck sweater that Ino gave her last winter.

She remembered holding the sweater against her chest and saying it was too much pink with her hair, too bold.

"It's a light pink. It complements your hair perfectly," Ino had objected. "Stop fighting your feminine looks, Sakura. You should lean into them, trust me."

Hope you're right, Ino, she thought.

Glancing at the clock, she had no more time to stand in front of her mirror debating. She pulled the sweater over her head, stepped into a black skirt, and added a little charm necklace from Hinata. She had just enough time to blow dry her hair before she heard Sasuke's knock at the door.

Sakura raked the brush through her hair again and scurried to the door. Seeing herself in the hallway mirror, she tucked a few stray hairs behind her ear.

She swung the door open, and a wash of cool autumn air greeted her.

The sight of Sasuke made her heart skip a beat. It wasn't her fault that he was so handsome. It was late evening, and the horizon burned red and orange. Sasuke looked down at her with those charcoal eyes, tinges of black hair grazing his cheekbones.

"Ready," she announced, stepping out of her apartment and bumping into him.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Running late?"

As she locked her door, she smiled and confessed, "A little." She wondered if her neck had turned pink, as she was hyper-aware of her appearance tonight, and if Sasuke would comment on it.

While they walked, Sakura peeked at him. Like her, he wore civilian clothes, although not significantly different from his normal attire. He wore a long-sleeved navy shirt with a raised collar and black pants.

Sakura fiddled with her hair, smoothing the ends, as she thought of what to say. Her nerves were singing, and she couldn't understand why she was so high-energy tonight.

"Are you hungry?"

"Hn."

"Hinata's a great cook," she remarked. "Naruto eats more than ramen now. So that's saying something."

"Took him long enough," Sasuke replied.

She laughed. "And you? Do you cook, Sasuke?"

Sasuke looked down at her, the corner of his lip quirked in amusement or disbelief. "Of course I cook. How else would I eat," he said.

"I don't know," she laughed. "I've just never seen you cook, is all."

"I've never seen you cook either. But I assume that, as a doctor, you eat more than takeout."

Sakura shook her head. "Just because I'm a doctor doesn't mean I have to eat healthy."

"It'd be hypocritical if you didn't," he said, looking down at her with a teasing smirk, " _Lady Sakura_."

It was a good thing they had reached Naruto and Hinata's apartment. Sasuke turned away to knock on the door, and Sakura felt her cheeks warm with color. Several thoughts raced through her mind, questioning what they were doing, and what they were to each other, and what she might be imagining or exaggerating. But there was no time to dwell on it. Naruto opened the door with a boisterous greeting and ushered them inside.

Hinata joined them from the kitchen and said hello, looking quiet and lovely and as happy in her home as Sakura had ever seen her.

"The food smells amazing, Hinata," Sakura complimented.

"Hope you brought your appetites, guys, because Hinata's cooking is the best," Naruto proclaimed. Then at second thought, he added, "But not too much appetite. Hoping for leftovers tomorrow."

Sakura rolled her eyes and joined Hinata in the kitchen to help finish dinner and set the table. To his credit, Naruto yelled out helpfully and asked if he was wanted in the kitchen. Sakura and Hinata made eye contact, and Hinata slowly and gravely shook her head no. Sakura called out, "No, that's okay, Naruto! We've got it!" Then they burst into quiet laughter.

After setting the table, Sakura crossed back into the living room, about to tell Naruto and Sasuke that they were ready.

Sasuke leaned back on the couch, elbow propped up on the armrest, his first two fingers pressing into his temples. His body language was, in a word, irritated. Naruto sat in the chair directly beside the couch and leaned forward on his knees. To Sakura's amazement, he was yet again speaking in furious whispers and wagging an accusatory finger at Sasuke.

"You are too much in your head, and so is Sakura—"

Her presence cut off the conversation immediately. Naruto looked at her stricken, jaw slack, as he formulated words in his mind.

Sakura placed her hand on her hip. "And why am I too much in my head, Naruto?"

"Uh," Naruto stammered.

A looked passed between Naruto and Sasuke, but as the latter was still covering the side of his face, she couldn't see it.

"Work," Naruto enunciated. "Yep. Work. You are thinking too much about work, Sakura."

She crossed her arms.

Naruto watched the gesture with unease.

"I wasn't thinking about work until you brought it up," she replied.

Naruto laughed forcefully. "My bad, Sakura. You're right; let's not think about work. Is dinner ready? We should go. Hinata will be really mad if we wait until it gets cold. And when she's mad"—he shuddered—"she gets the scary eyes." He sprung out of his seat and bolted to the kitchen.

Sasuke stood up and walked over to her.

"What was that about?" she asked suspiciously.

He rolled his eyes. "The idiot thinks he has 'sage wisdom.' Don't worry about it."

She chuckled. "Oh, I'm familiar with the phrase."

Dinner was delicious as always. Hinata had prepared rice, miso soup, pickled vegetables, yakiniku, and umeboshi for dessert. Naruto tried to make Sasuke tell a few stories from the road and, inevitably failing, told a couple of his own. Whenever Naruto was around, there was never a shortage of conversation. He was in the middle of one particularly dangerous and heroic mission, where he single-handedly shut down a drug ring, when Sakura felt a strange sense of déjà vu.

"And so there I was, surrounded by Touma and his men, and I said, 'Seven against one, I like these odds'—"

"That is not what happened, Naruto," she said, laughing in disbelief, "and you know it."

Naruto looked as if she'd offended his honor. "And how do you know? You weren't there!"

"I was there," she objected. "It was ten months ago, right after my trip to Suna. They weren't even ninja. They had two ninja bodyguards," speaking over Naruto's sputtering, "and I took them out."

Naruto slumped back in his seat.

"And you never gave a speech," she pointed out cheekily.

Naruto huffed. "I'm trying to be a good host with an entertaining story. And you had to go and ruin it with the _truth_. Are you happy now?"

By the time dinner was over, Sakura's cheeks felt sore from smiling. She always enjoyed spending time with Naruto and Hinata. They seemed like such a perfect pair, balancing each other's quirks and temperaments. The addition of Sasuke just made everything better.

Naruto insisted on doing the dishes and volunteered Sasuke for the task as well. Sakura and Hinata sat in the living room, where Sakura noticed a new white photo album displayed on their bookshelf. Discovering that it was their wedding album, Sakura sat excitedly on the floor with the book perched on the coffee table.

Sakura and Hinata flipped through the pages one by one, ooh-ing and ah-ing at every detail, commenting on all the little funny things that tend to go wrong at weddings.

"Of course, I didn't count on it raining that morning," Hinata said, looking at a photo of her and Naruto. "I had to walk across the wet grass in heels, and they were so slippery that if I wasn't holding onto Naruto, I might have fallen over," she admitted with a laugh.

"Well, I wouldn't have known," Sakura replied. "You looked so graceful."

Hinata was truly the most beautiful bride Sakura had ever seen. She admired several more photos of Hinata's wedding kimono then, flipping the page, saw a collage of guests.

"Oh my gosh," Sakura laughed, pointing at a picture of Lee. "I almost forgot about his green suit."

Then she turned the page and found a photo of herself. She was standing at a high-top table with Ino and Sai, dressed in a muted red, knee-length dress. She remembered the burning mix of emotions that day, as she was so unbelievably happy for Naruto, and yet full of longing for Sasuke to show up at any minute. Ino looked blissful in a two-toned lilac and plum dress, hair cascading down her shoulders. Sai stood next to her, handsome and beaming. In that moment, no one would suspect that he had lived most of his life suppressing emotion.

Sakura bit back a wistful sigh.

"Your hair has really grown since then," Hinata remarked. "Are you going to keep it long?"

She ran her fingers through the long lock of hair falling over her shoulder. "I haven't really thought about it," she mused. "It was inconvenient before, when I was on more missions. Now I don't mind it."

Naruto called Hinata into the kitchen with a question, and Sakura spent another quiet moment looking down at the wedding album. The longing in her chest turned into a sigh. She flipped the page and then jolted when she saw a folded note, all by itself in the back of the album.

The note that Sasuke sent after the wedding, she realized with widened eyes.

She slipped her fingers inside the pocket and pulled out the note. As she hastily unfolded it, she skimmed the first words— _Dead last_ —and then it was snapped from her hands. She spun around and saw Sasuke, standing arrogantly with the note perched between his fingertips.

"You can't go through other people's mail," he taunted. "It's a felony."

"Sasuke!" she protested, standing up to grab the note.

He raised it above their heads, smirking down at her. "Yes?"

"This just makes me want to read it even more," she insisted, standing on the tips of her toes to reach higher.

Sasuke shifted ever so slightly when she got close. Sakura made a grab for the note, and when Sasuke jerked his hand away, she lost her footing. She swayed into his chest, her nose barely brushing the fabric of his shirt. A deep, heated blush rose on her face. And she knew she shouldn't look at him, she _knew_ that, but even so, she slowly lifted her eyes to his. Her heart pounded as their breaths mingled.

Sasuke angled his face down to hers, expression soft. His gaze was rapt, and curious, and she supposed they had never seen each other this close up before. She could feel the heat radiating from him, and she was warm all over.

Her heart hammered in her chest as Sasuke inched closer to her.

With the sound of footsteps from the kitchen, Sasuke pulled away from her in one swift motion. A rush of cold air filled the space between them, and Sakura could only hope that it also cooled her heated face.

When Naruto and Hinata came into the room, the blond was watchful but said nothing. There was something in the crinkling of his eyes, in the way he seemed to be holding back a grin. Sakura knew that Naruto had been putting them together as often as he could. The man was a klutz, but his recent episode at the Uchiha district was more like his teenage self, not the capable man she'd grown up with.

He made eye contact with her, and she saw his firmness and hope. The strength of those feelings made her throat close up. Naruto knew how much she loved Sasuke. Whenever he gave her that knowing look, it was impossible for her to deny or belittle those feelings, and that terrified her. It was easier to pretend that her feelings weren't so strong. It was easier to act like her heart didn't burn inside her chest every time Sasuke crossed her mind.

She had everything her thirteen-year-old self ever wanted. Sasuke was back in the village with Team Seven. But she wasn't thirteen anymore. She wanted more. That admission, even privately, petrified her. Although her relationship with Sasuke was closer than ever, she could never be sure with him. She had thought he might kiss her. But he didn't. So, what then?

Sakura purposefully chose the seat beside Hinata and not Sasuke.

But it didn't help her state of mind at all, the way Sasuke's eyes seemed to drift to her, occasionally settling on her bare legs.

They talked a while longer until it was time to go. Naruto followed them out and said, "And don't forget about the after-party for Kiba's jonin exam! It's next Thursday. You both better be there. Looking at you, Sasuke."

"Hn. Fine."

The door shut, and they were alone again.

Sakura stole a glance at him. She was always the one initiating conversation. They walked in silence for several minutes. When they passed by Sakura's favorite dango shop, her nose picked up on the sweet, gooey scent.

"Don't tell me you're still hungry," Sasuke muttered.

"I'm not hungry," she snipped. "I'm just thinking about dessert."

"We had dessert."

"That was a tart, sour dessert," Sakura corrected. "Not the same as a sweet dessert."

Sasuke scoffed. "You're ridiculous."

"You're ridiculous for not liking sweets," she huffed.

He let out a sharp breath, a cross between another scoff and an actual laugh. They lapsed into silence again, and when they reached her apartment, she unlocked her door and said goodnight. She gazed up at him, not knowing what to expect, hardly knowing what she wanted. For a brief moment, Sasuke drew close to her. He could have reached out to her, just inches away, could have touched her.

After an entire evening together, and what might have been an intimate moment between them, he receded coolly into his regular reserved state. He stepped back from her, and Sakura felt her heart drop like a stone in her stomach.

"Goodnight," he said simply, and walked away.

She took one last look at him over her shoulder, perplexed. All her previous laughter and energy dissipated into quiet contemplation. She had more reason than ever to feel like she understood Sasuke, at least a little. And yet she had never felt more senseless, or more at a loss, than in that moment.

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* * *

 **A/N.** You guys have given me the best reviews and so much love. Thank you! You've also given me the phrase "slow burn," which I adore and encompasses everything that I want in a good fanfic, haha. The slow burn is real. :)


	6. Chapter 6

The next week Sakura was slammed.

She had been in the medical field long enough to know that some weeks were just like that. Some weeks the entire village was good and healthy. Other weeks it seemed like every person alive had the flu or a concussion or an injury on duty.

The week began with an accident at a construction site, where a beam collapsed and injured three workers. One man had fallen three feet from the upper scaffolding and shattered a few vertebrae in his back. The surgery took several hours.

In the middle of the week, eight squads returned from active duty, all needing check-ups and approval for release.

At the end of the week, Sakura realized that she still hadn't planned her itinerary for the next trip to Suna. Now that Suna had initiated their own children's clinic, she was traveling in two weeks to see how they were doing, if the Leaf had suggestions, or if the Sand had made improvements to Sakura's original blueprint. She also wanted to schedule in time to visit their poison center. The Sand's expertise in poison was unparalleled, and Sakura was keenly interested in the idea of Konoha and Suna exploring a joint research program for poison.

And besides all that, the hospital was crowded these days because, well, it was flu season.

On the day of Kiba's jonin exam, Sakura rushed to the Hokage's Office for her meeting with Kakashi. They reviewed the details for her week-long stay in Suna, and he congratulated her on winning over the Council for a budget increase that year.

"Thank you, Lord Hokage," she smiled gratefully. And in a sly tone, she added, "I'm glad they're supportive of the children's clinic. Because I was hoping to look into another project in Suna."

Kakashi leaned in his seat and laughed. "You can't take a break, can you? Alright, go ahead."

She highlighted the major achievements of the Sand's poison center with the kind of medical gusto that always amused Kakashi. "And their resources—they are ten years ahead of us in the variety of herbs they have," she rattled off. "To be honest, we would benefit far more than Suna. But we have more resources and personnel, and that should interest them."

Kakashi shook his head fondly. "Another project is the last thing you need, Sakura," he said, "but I won't deny that it's a good venture. Feel free to look around while you're there."

Sakura beamed. "Thank you, sensei."

On her way out, Sakura jogged down the stairs, knowing that she had a patient appointment in thirty minutes at the hospital. At the bottom of the stairs, she narrowly avoided tumbling straight into Sasuke.

"Sasuke!" she exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

A shock raced up her spine when she saw him. If he felt the same shock after not seeing her all week, it certainly did not show.

"Kakashi called for me," he intoned.

Sakura felt a stab of pain looking at his perfect chiseled face, jet black hair, those mismatched eyes. Her heart picked up in her chest just at the sight of him. But he regarded her with total ease and nonchalance. More and more often these days, she felt a prick of frustration when she considered the difference between them. And for all their progress, maybe everything was still the same as when they were kids. What did it matter if his feelings had changed—if he esteemed her higher than before, when he had considered her useless, nothing, annoying—if she was always the one whose feelings were painfully stronger?

The immediate roaring of her own feelings, in complete contrast with his placid veneer, made her off-balanced. In the moment, she just wanted to get away.

"Okay," she replied brusquely. "Well, I have to get back to the hospital. See you later, Sasuke."

She breezed by him and spent the afternoon in frustrated distraction, starting and restarting the same paragraph on her paperwork. When it came time for Kiba's after-party, Ino knocked on her office door, and they walked together to the bar.

"I love this time of year," Ino gushed as they approached the restaurant. "There's so much going on with the jonin exams today and the fall festival this weekend." Her eyes sparkled. "Are you excited? Your new kimono is stunning. Almost as nice as mine."

"Thanks for that," Sakura laughed.

Ino took a shrewd tone. "I think a certain someone might like it."

"Is Sai out on a mission?" Sakura asked, obviously trying to change topics. "Is that why you aren't coming to the party together?"

"Yes, he's on a mission, but he'll be here for the festival. Speaking of the festival," Ino drawled, not giving into Sakura's wishes, "are you going with anyone? In your stunning new kimono?"

Sakura placed her hand on the door of the bar and swung it open. "No, Ino," she replied, walking briskly ahead. Then to herself, "No one has asked."

Ino spotted the group immediately. She waved and grabbed Sakura's arm to pull her over. "We'll talk more later," she whispered, then loudly greeted everyone.

The evening was a pleasant distraction until Naruto arrived fifteen minutes later, Sasuke in tow. Sakura motioned to both of them with a hello, making sure not to linger on the latter.

Everyone's eyes on him, a natural showman, Naruto put on his cheesy announcer voice, fake microphone in hand, and gestured to the door. "And announcing," punctuating every word, "the Leaf's newest jonin, Kiba Inuzuka and his partner Akamaru!"

Everyone cheered as Kiba and Akamaru entered the bar. "Thank you, thank you, everyone," Kiba said. "But really, who's surprised? Passed with flying colors." Akamaru barked in agreement.

The bar was overtaken with the excitement and general chatter as Kiba recapped the jonin exam, and Naruto and Lee excitedly asked questions. Ino and Tenten made sure to joke about Naruto's curiosity, as he and Sasuke had lived to be the strongest and oldest genin in the history of the Leaf. Naruto had an offer to be jonin, if he'd only take the time to finish the coursework. Naturally Sasuke had little concern for titles.

Sakura was so wrapped up in all the conversations and side conversations that she was startled when someone laid their hand on her shoulder and called her name. She turned to find a familiar smile.

"Michio!" she exclaimed happily. "I haven't seen you in ages. How are you?"

"Pretty good, but not the same without you," he grinned.

Sakura became aware of a few sets of eyes on them.

He motioned behind him and said, "I'm just here with some of the guys. Do you want to say hi? They miss giving you all the heavy lifting, you know."

Now she was acutely aware that the conversations behind her quieted down. "Oh, I'm sure they do," she stammered, laughing.

Michio carried on, seeming to speak even louder. "I'm just saying, the offer still stands if you ever want to leave the hospital for the construction business. You've got a knack, Sakura."

She felt the back of her neck begin to burn, and she was never so thankful for her long hair to hide it. "Does anyone want drinks?" she asked the table, though never turning around. "Let's get drinks," she said, and firmly grabbed Michio by the wrist and led him to the crowded bar.

"Michio," she whispered in annoyance, "what was that?"

She turned so that her back would show to the table. Michio stood closely to her, leaning down with a penetrating look that didn't match his false innocence when he said, "What do you mean?"

Sakura glared. "I haven't exactly broadcasted how much I worked on the Uchiha district. What was that back there?"

"Do you know what, that's what kills me about you, Sakura," he fired back, suddenly serious, looking at her with an expression she finally began to understand. "You are so beautiful," he said earnestly.

For Sakura it was like the air and noise of the bar was sucked out. She held her breath without realizing.

"And smart. And funny," he continued without an ounce of shame or hesitation. "You're easy to talk to and fun to be around."

Sakura fumbled for words. "Look, Michio, I—"

Michio shook his head with a laugh he didn't mean. "Just let me finish. I like you, Sakura. Of course I like you. Everything about you is amazing. And that's why it makes no sense, absolutely zero sense, that—"

He stopped in frustration.

He met her gaze. "If a woman like you did something like that for me," he said lowly, meaningfully, "then I'd want to know. That's all I'm saying."

Sakura stared at him wordlessly, face full of emotion.

He put money down on the bar but didn't order. "If you need anything," he said, "you know where to find me."

When he left, she felt a rising wave of frustration, confusion, desire, anger. She ordered drinks and brought them back to the table. She could see Naruto's openly curious gaze. Where Sasuke sat, she didn't dare to look.

Ino settled on her at once. "Who was that?" she whispered. "You really seemed to know each other."

Sakura counted her lucky stars that the table, mostly Kiba and Naruto, thundered with appreciation at the sight of the full drink tray. Sakura ignored Ino's question and took a seat and a drink.

"Let the games begin!" Kiba yelled, raising a glass, toasting Konoha Eleven's prized tradition of a jonin drinking game. "But I'm on a winning streak today, so don't get your hopes up."

"Teams or individuals," Sakura asked.

Ino gave her a side eye. "Are you serious? You haven't agreed to a drinking game since you became jonin."

Naruto pounded his fist into the table. "What!" he exploded. "Is she a jonin too?" Then looking directly at her, "Are you a jonin? You've got to be kidding me." Sinking into his chair, he grumbled, "So much for 'no man left behind.'"

Ino answered for her, always ready to take a dig at Naruto. "When you spend a month in Lightning for 'diplomacy'"—making dubious air quotes—"you miss things, okay?" She jabbed a finger at Sakura. "Besides, she only did it because she's a sucker for punishment. Couldn't pass up the opportunity for another test." She stuck out her tongue.

"No, it was so I could be your superior in every way," Sakura taunted.

Ino flipped her hair. "Whatever. Let's get on with the game, so you can eat your words, Billboard Brow."

"Okay, okay, guys, get ready," Naruto said, leaning forward on the table with his elbows. "The newest jonin gets to pick the game. What'll it be, Kiba?"

Kiba surveyed the drink tray Sakura had just brought, full of sake. "Kiku no Hana," he declared with a grin.

Several people groaned, including Lee, Tenten, and Ino, but Naruto clapped his hands together and boasted that Kiku no Hana was his lucky game.

Sasuke sat with his arms crossed, glaring at the sake cups in front of them. "A game of visual acuity," he quipped. "Not likely, idiot."

"Additional rule," Sakura interjected, determined to win. "No Sharingan or jutsu of any kind."

Sasuke snapped his eyes to hers, and she instantly regretted her decision. The intense way he looked at her stirred up the emotions already roiling in the pit of her stomach. The ones she very much intended to drown out in alcohol.

"Fine," he replied. "Don't need it."

As the man of the night, Kiba started the game. He turned over all the sake cups, placed a coin beneath one, and shuffled the cups rapidly. "You might think you can follow the coin now," he laughed, "but let's see how everyone does after a few more drinks."

Directly to his right, Tenten chose the first sake cup and cheered when there was no coin beneath. Hinata chose next, turning over another empty sake cup. Then Lee spent a full minute staring intently at the drink tray, before finally making the fatal choice. Naruto burst into laughter when Lee uncovered the glimmering coin.

"Poor Lee," Tenten murmured. "He's really not cut out for drinking games."

As the third person to turn over a sake cup, Lee drank three cups of sake. "That was," he said, face turning pink, eyes watering, "not so bad."

Then it was Tenten's turn to hide the coin, and the game continued one by one around the table. Over the next two rounds, Sakura fared pretty well, only getting caught with the coin once and drinking two cups of sake. Naruto ended up drinking five because half of the time he was too busy laughing and talking to pay attention to the coin. Sasuke hadn't taken so much as a single drink with his quick vision.

It was the third round that was Sakura's undoing.

At her third time placing the coin, she watched the cups go around the entire table. Kiba, Tenten, Lee, Hinata, and Naruto. When it reached Sasuke, he had just three cups to choose from. Sakura felt her stomach drop. It could have been her imagination, but she thought she saw Sasuke smirk, as if weighing his options. After a pause, he flicked over an empty sake cup.

Only two cups left, and one more player.

Shit, this was the worst part about Kiku no Hana.

Ino bellowed in laughter, eyes bright with the tinge of alcohol. "Oh my God, Sakura, I told you that you would eat your words." The blonde tapped her chin and pretended to consider the cups very carefully. "I have a good feeling about this one." And she snatched the cup off the table.

Sakura stared at the empty tray. No coin.

Naruto erupted into disbelieving laughter. "Damn, Sakura, we wanted to loosen you up, not kill you."

"Last cup drinks 'em all," Ino laughed, giving a tipsy shrug. "But if the great Sakura can't handle all these cups of sake, we won't blame you for chickening out."

Sakura flipped the only remaining cup, where the luminous coin looked up at her. She reached for the sake bottle and poured each cup.

"Thirty seconds or less, Pig," she said.

The warm burning down her throat. The pleasant haze and dizziness of alcohol. The way everything got brighter and funnier and easier. The remainder of the game passed, and Sakura's cheeks hurt from laughing. They were the loudest table at the bar, with people watching, but Sakura didn't care. She hardly even minded Sasuke. He could be as brooding or as beautiful or as magnetic as he wanted, but nothing ever seemed serious during a raucous night of drinking. The frustration she felt earlier, it was barely a memory.

Well past midnight, the crowd began to disperse. Naruto was quite drunk by this point, as were Kiba and Lee. They were pretty much shepherded home by Hinata, Ino, and Tenten, respectively. Sakura slid off her stool, bumping into the table first and then the stool again. She regained her balance, laughing absentmindedly as she patted down her hair.

She felt a warm hand on her arm.

She looked up to see Sasuke, all dark eyes and lashes. The smile stilled on her lips. The lights behind him were a fuzzy warm glow, but he was in focus. She felt the burning sensation from before, forming knots in her chest.

"Come on," he said, leading her outside into the streets.

Being drunk, of course, made her rather slow. "Oh, you don't need to walk me home," she protested, finally understanding. "It's not far. I'm fine."

Sasuke scoffed.

"I mean it, I'm fine," she enunciated, as she swung her arm out of his grip. The jerky movement threw off her already unsteady balance, and she stepped back to catch herself.

"Clearly," Sasuke remarked.

When he turned around and motioned toward his back, Sakura thought she was having a drunk hallucination. She blinked, but no, Sasuke was indeed motioning for her to climb on his back.

"Just get on already," Sasuke muttered. "I'd rather carry you than watch you trip all the way home."

She thought to herself that she really must be drunk. She climbed on his back as he said and looped her arms around his neck. Sasuke shifted her a bit, hiking her further up his back. She was immediately conflicted—thankful that he couldn't see her face as long as she rode on his back, but deeply embarrassed and transfixed by every touch and brush of their bodies. Every time he jostled her position, his hand gripped her thigh. Her cheeks colored at the realization of her chest pressing against his back. Leaving her arms loose around his neck, she wondered what it would be like to really hold him.

He smelled like firewood. She leaned into his neck and soon rested her cheek on his shoulder. She was passing the energetic stage of drunkenness and hurdling toward sleep. He was so warm against her torso and thighs. For a stupid, selfish moment, she let herself close her eyes and enjoy the comforting sensation of his skin, his smell, his heat. In her drunken daze, it was no less than divine.

For Sakura, they arrived at her apartment in an instant. She opened sluggish eyes to the sound of Sasuke asking for her keys. She rummaged them out of her pocket and leaned over to unlock the door to her apartment.

Sasuke set her down on the couch. She thought he might say goodnight and leave, but he leaned down on the floor to unzip her boots. His calloused hand skimmed across her legs and ankles. She watched him silently, feeling her breath quicken for reasons she didn't completely comprehend. Then everything turned upside down as he threw her over his shoulder and carried her down the hall. The sudden motion made her laugh dizzily, her chest bumping clumsily against his back, as he held her with just one arm pressed against her thighs.

He held her as if she weighed nothing. He leaned forward to lay her on the bed. And then it was clear why she felt her heart hammering. The silence of her bedroom, the warmth and strength of him, the tingling from her head to her toes, the desire in the pit of her stomach. The love she felt for him, painful and bursting in her heart.

The comforter rose up to meet her. Just as Sasuke was about to let go and straighten, he paused. His face hovered inches above hers. A few strands of jet black hair caressed her cheek. Their breaths mingled, and Sakura recognized his gaze with a racing heartbeat. His dark eyes were soft, heated. She could see his intention so clearly that her hands trembled. She felt hot desire flooding through her veins, but also fear. She was afraid that he would kiss her, afraid of how much she wanted it, afraid of how far she wanted it to go.

And just like that he stood up, and cold air rushed between them. It was a sensory shock. Her hands stopped trembling and made frustrated fists.

He left the room, and Sakura turned to her side. When he returned, he set a glass of water on her bedside table. Still she said nothing. She didn't trust her drunken voice, her tight throat.

Sasuke turned toward the door, but stopped at the corkboard nailed to the wall. It was mostly reminders and hospital schedules, but she knew where his eyes were trained.

 _Do what you want._

Finally he looked over his shoulder. "Goodnight, Sakura," he said, closed the door, and left.

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Sakura spent the early morning in restless, drunken sleep.

She dreamed that she was sitting in her bed. So was Sasuke. He looked at her with that heated gaze and rested his forehead against hers. _Sasuke_ , she called his name. He dipped forward and crashed his lips against hers, at once soft but insistent. She climbed into his lap and straddled him, arching her back to press herself flush against him.

She felt like she was burning alive. It was a relief when Sasuke slipped her shirt over her head and undid her bra. He looked at her like no man had ever looked at her. He looked at her with amazement and desire. With his dark gaze focused on her, she felt like the most beautiful woman who ever existed. She was gorgeous, she was exquisite, she was liberated. She could make a man like that look at her with eyes like those.

The thought made her hot between her legs. She grabbed fistfuls of his black shirt to yank it over his head. She pressed her naked chest against his, reveling in the slick sensation of his skin. She ran greedy hands over his hard abdominal muscles, loving the way they flexed underneath her fingertips as he kissed her. He trailed blistering, fiery lips all down her neck and chest.

She heard herself whimper, and it shocked her. Her palms were sweating, and all she could do was moan with pleasure. She rolled her hips against him in frustrated desperation.

She could not stand it. She grabbed Sasuke by the shoulders and tried to haul him up to her. He had an arrogant, pleased smirk on his mouth, but she didn't care, she kissed it right off. They fumbled with their clothes, and she raked her fingers down his shoulders in need.

"God, I want you," she panted. "I love you."

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Sakura's eyes flew open.

The sight of her bedroom ceiling, and a headache, greeted her.

She instantly understood that it was all a dream, but her labored breathing was real enough. She could still feel the tendrils of pleasure shooting up and down her body, and the pulsing between her legs. She screwed her eyes shut and pressed her hands against her forehead.

A sense of deep mortification descended on her.

"What is the matter with me," she groaned.

But there was nothing the matter with her. As a woman, as an adult, as a doctor, she knew there was absolutely nothing wrong. She loved Sasuke. And she wanted him. And however hard she tried to bury those feelings, she couldn't ignore them forever.

Still, she thought miserably, a wet dream about a man who doesn't feel the same way is pretty pathetic.

Sakura groaned aloud in utter disappointment and shame. She sat up in her bed and dreaded the next time she would see Sasuke. What chance did she have of acting normal with that dream replaying in her mind?

She sighed and swung her legs off the bed. Then she noticed the glass of water on the bedside table, and the memory of Sasuke unzipping her boots flashed through her mind.

Sakura reached for the glass and took a thirsty swig, feeling the water soothe her hoarse throat. She stared down at the water and thought, with sudden clarity, that she shouldn't be so ashamed of the woman in the dream. That woman was beautiful and confident. She didn't shy away from what she wanted or feel shame at what she needed.

It struck Sakura that in life she had never felt that way.

Ever since Sasuke left, she denied everything. She denied how much it hurt when Naruto left the village to train with Jiraiya and when Kakashi returned to missions instead of teaching her. She tried to put on a brave face for Naruto and act as if she didn't love Sasuke half as much as she did. Later she even told herself she could love Naruto instead. And when it was all said and done after the Fourth Great Ninja War, she denied how desperate and thwarted she felt when Sasuke left the village again. For two years, she immersed herself into long hours, always frantically looking for the next project that could occupy her mind, so that when she lay in bed at night, she would be too tired to think.

That feeling came back to her from the dream. There was something else, beyond just the physical aspect. Normally she apologized for everything, for being too weak, for being too needy, for feeling too strongly. But in her dream, she was wholly and completely unapologetic. No self-doubt or blame. It was striking and freeing all at once.

Sakura placed the glass on the table. She started to smooth down her ruffed hair, a nervous habit from childhood. She resolved, although shakily, that there was no point running away from her feelings. She obviously couldn't stifle them.

Don't apologize, she instructed herself. A person, any person, is lucky to be loved.

He had said so himself.

 _Thank you for everything._

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* * *

 **A/N.** We are getting _so_ close.


	7. Chapter 7

Sakura felt like a bit of a liar the next day. She felt nothing but relief that she hadn't stumbled into Sasuke after her rather vivid dream. The extra time should have made her prepared. When she finished volunteering for Ami at the festival, she changed into her new kimono and met everyone at the gates as planned.

Her original strategy was to greet Naruto first, and of course Hinata, and then carelessly say hello to Sasuke as third. She had it all worked out in her mind. That way she wasn't singling him out, but she wasn't ignoring him either. Then she was going to make deliberate conversation with Tenten throughout the night, who was naturally good company anyway. The goal was a casual night with limited exposure to Sasuke and very little reason to feel embarrassed.

It did not go as planned.

Sasuke was dressed up. In none of her scenarios had she considered the likelihood of Sasuke wearing anything but his standard black attire. To be sure, it was still black. He stood tall and handsome in a traditional yukata, a stunning and somewhat hilarious mix of formality and festivity.

Sakura was glad to foster the amusement over the admiration.

"You dressed up," she said at once, skipping over Naruto and Hinata and all the rest, already losing hold of the plan. No one noticed except Naruto and Ino, who were keenly interested in Sakura and Sasuke's interactions these days.

"It's a festival," he shrugged.

"It is," she said, amused. "I just didn't think you cared for festivals."

Sasuke angled his chin defensively. "I never said I cared for festivals."

Sakura laughed, feeling the giddiness and strangeness of being here with everyone, dressed up, lit by the warm glow of lantern lights above the streets. Sasuke looked handsome and, what was more, touchable. If she extended her arms, she could slide her hands along the soft black of his yukata and feel his hard chest underneath.

Sakura swiftly looked away, amazed at how fast her thoughts veered in that direction.

Ino hadn't taken offense by Sakura's rudeness. She greeted her friend with a sly smile and twinkling eyes.

"Sakura," she said with a slow smile that spoke careful strategy. "Aren't you glad we went kimono shopping? The navy really suits you."

The kimono was certainly the nicest Sakura had ever owned. It was a gorgeous, rich navy with flowers cascading down the length of it, mostly white and blush, but with a few moody burgundy blooms at the bottom. At Ino's recommendation, she wore her long pink hair down her back. She pinned the left side of her bangs back with a sleek hair comb.

Sakura could see through Ino's tricks. "I have your excellent taste"—lowering her voice—"and subtlety to thank, Ino."

Ino glowed with self-satisfaction. "Subtlety is my middle name, Sakura." Then taking Sai's arm, she announced to the group that they should move to the first stall, a game of darts with water balloons.

As everyone walked into the festival, they naturally fell into pairs—Naruto with Hinata, Lee with Tenten, Kiba with Akamaru, and Shikamaru with Temari who was visiting the village again. Even Shino had a date, a pretty brunette Sakura had never seen before.

Sakura threw a frustrated glance at the back of the blonde's head. Right on cue, Ino gave a cheeky wave over her shoulder. Really, the blonde was twice as clever as Sakura gave her credit for.

In spite of all her planning, Sakura fell into pace right beside Sasuke as if fate, or a certain blonde, had willed it.

The group went from stall to stall, rowdily playing games and making bets. They never played for prizes. It was an unspoken rule with the vendors that ninja weren't supposed to play simple dart games and clear out the prizes. Sakura laughed heartily at everyone's attempts at the strongman game, "Ring the Bell." Not because none of them could strike the bell, but rather because of the obvious effort they had to make. She lifted the mallet in her hand, barely tapped the lever, and rang the bell mounted at the top. At Naruto's boos and cries of unfair advantage, she took a bow.

They made their way down several lanes of games, attractions, and little shops of handmade goods. Sakura knew almost all of the vendors, either from volunteering earlier in the afternoon, but more often as patients from the hospital. She enquired after recurring strep throats and heart conditions and cold-weather arthritis.

Ino jabbed Naruto in the ribs and said, "You may have to watch out for Sakura, you know. If becoming Hokage was a popularity contest, you might lose."

As the night progressed, each couple wandered off to play a different game across the street or to stop for souvenirs. Eventually, as Sakura waved goodbye to a mother she often saw at the children's clinic, she turned around to find herself alone with Sasuke.

"It seems everyone is enjoying themselves," she said, scanning the crowded streets for her wandering companions. The two of them kept walking, mostly because the steady wave of villagers pushed them forward through the lanes. She looked shyly up at Sasuke. "And you?"

"Is this how you normally spend your time at festivals," Sasuke said, not acknowledging her question. "Giving free medical advice?"

Sakura's jaw fell open, and she wasn't sure whether to be amused or a little offended. "You meet a lot of people as a doctor," she deflected. "And unlike you, I happen to like conversation."

"Is this not a conversation right now," Sasuke retorted.

She rolled her eyes and laughed. "Oh, and you're clearly enjoying it."

Her eyes landed on the weight guessing booth a few feet ahead. She and Sasuke spotted Naruto and Hinata at the same time. The vendor had just guessed Hinata's weight, and Naruto cackled wickedly.

"Joke's on you, man! Hinata weighs like fifty pounds, tops."

Hinata turned bright pink, reminding Sakura of her younger years. She was whispering earnestly to Naruto that, despite his sincere belief that she weighed next to nothing, it was not possible that she weighed only fifty pounds.

"I'm not buying it," Naruto said. "See how easy you are to pick up?" And he looped his arms around Hinata's thighs and hoisted her into the air.

Sakura giggled at the sight of Hinata's ever-reddening face.

"How she puts up with the dead last is beyond me," Sasuke said.

Love, the answer came. Because she loved him.

Sakura hastily switched topics back to the game. "Should we try it?" she said. "As long as you won't be offended, you know, if they think you're heavier than you are."

Sasuke snorted. "It's not even a game. Guessing someone's weight is not a skill."

"Hey, it's harder than it looks," Sakura argued. "I bet you can't guess mine."

Another man, perhaps a smarter man, would have opted out of the challenge. But Sasuke took everything at face value and said, "Fine." He looked her up and down. "One-fifteen."

Sakura opened her mouth, but nothing came at first. "Yeah, one-eighteen," she said warily.

Sasuke resumed walking with a distinctly cocky tilt to his mouth.

Sakura lifted up the full skirt of her kimono to catch up with him. "Fine, so you have weight guessing skill," she needled. "Maybe you can trade in your illustrious career as a shinobi for a festival vendor."

He scoffed. "I also carried you home the other day, if you've forgotten."

A faint dusting of pink covered her cheeks. "Oh yeah," she laughed awkwardly. "Thanks for that, by the way."

Sasuke gave a slight nod, which was as close to a heartfelt "you're welcome" as the man could get. Sakura smiled.

Please and distracted, she didn't hear the bell of a trolley approaching from behind them. Festival goers pressed toward the sides to make room, and someone stepped on the back of her kimono. Sasuke pressed his hand on the small of her back and guided them into the alley between the stalls, out of the way. He stood between her and the crowd like a barrier, looking over his shoulder for the trolley to pass.

His arm, she thought dazedly. It was still wrapped around her waist.

Her heartbeat picked up, that familiar feeling of warmth and nerves. There they were, kimono and yukata, lantern lights overhead, the sound of street musicians in the distance. She was hyper aware of their proximity, the pressure of his fingers against her spine, the way her silky hair skimmed his calloused knuckles.

If there was ever a moment, it was this.

"Sasuke," she said, voice full of feeling.

Sasuke turned his face from the street and looked down at her silently. She opened her mouth to continue before she could lose her nerve.

"Lee, come _on_!"

Sakura blinked. She was almost shocked to hear those words, though not from her own mouth. Sasuke's hand disappeared from her back.

Tenten was tugging Lee past the stall beside Sasuke and Sakura. The brunette spotted them and—not suspecting a moment between them, and too focused on dragging Lee away from a dart game—said, "You guys, the fireworks are about to start. Come on!"

As a master at weaponry, Tenten had little use for festival dart games. Sakura watched the pair run ahead of them, sighing. She hardly looked at Sasuke as she stepped back into the street. Perhaps a crowded festival wasn't the ideal place to confess her feelings.

She tucked her bangs behind her ear. "Fireworks then?" she asked, trying to hide her disappointment.

They walked to the edge of the festival, where the streets opened up into a field on the east side of the village. It was no trouble at all to spot Naruto's bright orange yukata and blond hair. The rest of the group had found him too. Sakura waved over at them smiling.

When she didn't immediately walk over, Sasuke asked, "What is it?"

"Oh," she replied, "I was going to get some dango first."

Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"It's not a festival without dango," she defended herself.

"Go on," he said. "I'll get it."

Sakura had no time to protest because he was already gone.

She rejoined the group and sat down on the several large blankets thrown on the damp grass.

"Where's Sasuke?" Ino asked, setting her eager blue eyes on Sakura.

"Getting dango," she said at length.

Raised eyebrows. "For you?"

Sakura turned away in embarrassment as well as pleasure.

As the first firework went off, everyone looked up in awe. Pops of white exploded into the night sky, followed by bursts of red and blue and purple. Each firework roared in a dazzling display of color, then faded gently into the sky.

It was perfect and beautiful, the whole village gathered and watching together.

Sakura turned her head toward the streets, looking for a familiar figure in black. Her shoulders dropped when she saw something else. A hawk gaining height above the festival, flying back to the Hokage's Office. She snapped her eyes back to the fireworks ahead. Her heartbeat drummed in her ears, drowning out the crackling fireworks and merry villagers.

As the minutes went by, Sakura fisted her hand in her skirt.

Eventually Ino tore her eyes away from the dazzling display and looked confusedly around her. "Has Sasuke not come back?" she whispered.

It was all Sakura could take. She got up and smiled tightly. "I think I'm going to head out. It's getting late," she said, waving goodbye, not waiting for anyone to hear her. Ino called after her, but she didn't turn around.

She hastened to the festival gates, all but breaking into a run. The walk home was quiet and still if not for the ongoing fireworks. When she reached her apartment, she flung open the door and slammed it behind her. Wood splintered in the frame. She leaned against it and closed her eyes.

Her mother would have called an outburst like this childish. Kakashi was always calling Sasuke away for something important. Nothing new. And if it was urgent, he would have left at once. But Sakura clenched her teeth in frustration, the entire night replaying in her mind. Trying to confess her feelings, spending the evening together, the night ending without him even saying goodbye.

At times like these she was thankful for her temper. She held onto it and encouraged it, knowing that if she was angry, she would not cry.

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Later Sakura learned that Sasuke had been called away on a mission. He was expected to return the day after she left for Suna.

The morning of her departure, Sakura was in her office, sorting and organizing files so that Shizune could cover for her while she was gone.

A knock came at the door, and Naruto entered with a big wave, all energy and smiles. "Hey Sakura! Today's the day, right? I wanted to say goodbye before you left."

Sakura greeted him with enthusiasm, and they talked for a while about their friends in Suna, the children's clinic, and a mission Naruto had coming up. As the conversation drew to a close, Naruto shifted his stance and looked away. Sakura steeled herself for what he would undoubtedly bring up.

"Look, about the other day at the festival, with Sasuke," he said, stopping and starting. "I wanted to tell you that—"

"Naruto, stop."

"No, seriously, I just think you should know—"

"Naruto, _enough_ ," Sakura commanded.

He stopped, stunned.

"If it's about Sasuke, I don't want to hear it."

"But, Sakura—"

"I don't want to hear it from you," she insisted. She crossed and uncrossed her arms, at a loss for words. "Whatever he's thinking, if he has something to say, he should say it himself."

Naruto was quiet for a moment and then nodded. "Okay. I get it."

Hating to see the dejected look on his face, Sakura sighed and tried to compensate for her ill temper. "I know you mean well," she apologized. "And thank you for coming to see me off."

A smile curved the corner of his mouth. "Come on, Sakura, you know I'm always there for you. I mean, for a long time, it was just you and me, you know?"

She laid a hand on Naruto's shoulder. She took a quiet breath, releasing some of her frustration at Sasuke, and remembered just how thankful she was to have Naruto in her life. Even in the worst times, he never gave up faith or lost strength. Even now, as a ninja and husband and Hokage-hopeful, he always found time to show her, and every single one of his friends, how much he cared.

"You're the best, Naruto," she said, seeing his kind, honest gaze.

Naruto scratched the back of his neck and laughed. "Hey, I've been saying that for years. I'm glad it's catching on."

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The trip to Suna took three days. Normally Sakura would have travelled with Ino for this trip, since she was also involved in the clinic. And it was always better to travel in pairs. But the main path to Suna was well-traveled and safer than ever, now that the Leaf and Sand were so well aligned.

Sakura could not decide if she missed Ino's company. The blonde would have been good company to distract Sakura from her thoughts—except that Ino was just as preoccupied with her relationship to Sasuke as she was.

When she reached Suna, she reported straight to the Kazekage's office.

Temari greeted her, dressed in navy blue and fishnets. She looked lighter today, not carrying her trademark fan.

"Sakura," she greeted with a smile. "Gaara's in a meeting with the elders, but I'll take you to the clinic. It's good to see you again. Practically saw you last week."

As they walked through the hot, dry streets of Suna, they chatted about the festival. Sakura asked a few personal questions about how things were going with Shikamaru, and Temari pretended not to lose her composure.

"And what's up with you?" Temari returned, feigning disinterest. "You and Sasuke seem to be getting along."

Even in Suna, she thought to herself in exasperation.

Temari barked a laugh. "I think I know that face," she said. "Shikamaru wasn't exactly in a rush, either. It was like pulling teeth."

Sakura chuckled. "I have a long history of pulling teeth," she admitted. "Last time, that didn't get me anywhere."

Reaching their destination, Temari laid her hand on a large brass knob and ushered them inside the clinic, sheltered from the wind and the stinging sand.

"Last time isn't this time," she said simply.

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Sakura spent the remainder of the trip in a cathartic flurry of activity. She spent hours each day at the clinic, meeting the children and the counselors. She met with the organizers to review their results, sharing suggestions and also taking ideas for her own program.

When she wasn't at the clinic, she was visiting their poison center, admiring their greenhouses and selection of herbs. For how few medical ninja worked at the center, it was remarkably well run.

A few days in, she pitched her idea to the medical ninja there, explaining how the Leaf would benefit from their expertise and supplies, while the Sand could profit from using Leaf medical personnel to advance their studies. The feedback was positive, so she mentioned it to Temari the next day.

"One of these days, Sakura, you need to take on an apprentice," the blonde said dryly. "If only to share the work you keep creating for yourself."

Her stay in Suna sped by. She gathered her notes on the clinic's success, made preparations to follow up on the poison center, and then it was time to leave. Every day kept her mind busy and content. It was only at night when she lay down, listening to the warm wind blow through her window, that she cast a thought to Konoha. She wondered if Sasuke was back home and, however unlikely, if it disappointed him that she wasn't there.

Leaving Suna meant three solitary days on the road. With no pressing work to occupy her thoughts, she imagined returning to Konoha and meeting Sasuke at the gates, where he waited for her. She shook her head and called herself stupid.

Selfish man, she thought, not really meaning it but trying to hold onto her anger.

The day she returned to Konoha, Sakura felt a great deal of anticipation. She walked through the gates. Of course there was no Sasuke waiting for her. She kept walking, every minute expecting to see him in the street or to find him outside of the Hokage Tower.

Arms prickling with the chill air, Sakura realized that it was suddenly late fall in the Leaf. It felt like she was returning from a long journey.

When she entered the Hokage Tower, she stopped cold in the lobby. There it was. She sensed it, low and tired as it was. Sasuke's chakra signature, usually a powerful mass of whirling energy, was just a slow, dizzy eddy. Three flights down from him, she could feel his fatigue. She had the presence of mind to suppress her own chakra. It hid itself easily and lightly at her will.

She walked up the three flights of stairs to Kakashi's office, never taking her attention off Sasuke's chakra. The two hushed, heated conversations between Naruto and Sasuke flashed through her mind. She knew it was about her. She knew Sasuke was keeping something from her. And this time she was compelled, she was _determined_ not to miss another opportunity.

She stopped outside the Hokage's Office as if to knock. She leaned in ever so slightly to listen to the low voices inside.

They were discussing his next mission. It seemed that, despite having just returned, Sasuke was about to leave again. She felt a wave of self-directed frustration that she should be so narcissistic as to believe that the Hokage of the Leaf Village and Sasuke were really discussing her in the middle of a classified mission debriefing.

Then she heard an abrupt change in tone and held her breath. Her heartbeat picked up as she listened to their fragmented conversation.

"One more thing, Sasuke."

A sigh.

"I know you don't want to talk about it."

"You're right, I don't."

"I just don't understand why you're suddenly backing away."

It was Sasuke who spoke next, a hardened apathy to his voice that wasn't convincing. "I'm always leaving. It's too much to ask."

As Kakashi answered, she could almost imagine the way he would lean back into his chair, with that lighthearted air of informality and frankness.

"I understand the guilt you're feeling, Sasuke. But that's not for you to decide. It's for Sakura."

Silence. Deafening silence.

When Sasuke answered, she could hear nothing in his voice, nothing. "I have to go," he said, and was gone. In an instant, he transported out of the Hokage's Office, and Sakura felt the sudden vacuum of energy on the other side of the double doors, hollow and echoing.

She could not explain how she felt in that moment. Her heartbeat pounded in her ears, and her breaths came out labored. She realized she couldn't report to Kakashi like this and made a swift turn down the hallway and up to the rooftop. She opened the door, set her hands down on the familiar rail, and gripped it hard.

She used to come out here all the time to think, when she was young and alone. Sakura sucked in a shaky breath and closed her eyes. She started to mold her chakra in a lazy circle throughout her body, calm, slow, and meticulous. Tsunade made her practice this constantly back then. Now it was so second nature to her that it was almost like meditating.

What was she feeling right now?

Tears pricked at her eyes.

 _Rage._

It became laborsome to whittle her chakra into a sedate flow. She felt the blood rise to her face as she looked back at the last couple of months with Sasuke. As unfinished as his and Kakashi's conversation had been, it threw everything into the light for her.

He had come back wanting to be with her. She felt it with such force and conviction that it startled her. At any other time in her life, she would have been overjoyed with this realization. But as her knuckles bleached white on the rail, she felt nothing of joy.

All those weeks he was trying to get close to her. The time they spent at the Uchiha district, in her office at the hospital, it was all to be close to her. But he was going to take it away. He was going to deprive her of it. He had decided that it was too much for her, a life with him, and so he was going to decide for her.

She felt her heart hammer again in her chest as she considered the unfairness, the outrageousness of it all. She had spent her entire life trying to prove to him what she could do and how much she loved him, and he would stand there in Kakashi's office with the nerve, the audacity to make a lifetime decision for her. All without even telling her his feelings. She had cried out her feelings at the village gates, screamed them on the battlefield, and he didn't even have the balls to tell her.

In all her years of knowing Sasuke, she had never been truly angry with him. She'd felt sadness, remorse, guilt, shame, and most of all, pain. But never the pure, raging anger she felt with him now. That he left them, she could forgive. But that he loved her and would withhold it from her—she burned at his arrogance. She could not explain it, but it was worse, somehow, than anything he'd done.

The night at Naruto's place raced through her mind. When he walked her home, he had pulled away from her. Just like Kakashi had said, he was pulling away from her. And when Sasuke pulled away, he became unreachable. It was only too easy to imagine a lifetime without him, never quite close enough to touch.

Sakura pressed her forehead against the cold railing on the rooftop. Konoha's chill breeze swept across her warm face. The cold iron rail smelled of blood, and she remembered the hospital. She straightened herself up and refocused on molding her chakra into a meditative crawl. After a moment, she went downstairs and kept a placid smile on her face as she reported to Kakashi.

She felt a twinge of guilt for her complete lack of interest in seeing him. He looked genuinely relieved and happy to see her. He pushed a stack of papers away from him and smiled beneath his mask as he complimented her work in Suna. Apparently Gaara had already emailed, thanking him for sparing her for a few days. When all Kakashi got was a restrained smile from her, he knew her mind wasn't on the trip to Suna.

"Sasuke just left on another mission," he added conversationally, as if she didn't know.

"Oh, really?" she said mildly.

"And Shikamaru too. The mission's classified, but they should return in another seven days."

Kakashi's words did nothing to dull her anger, but it did add concern. That did not sit well with her.

"He told me to tell you."

Sakura didn't trust herself to respond. When she left the Hokage's Office, all she knew was that the addition of worry made everything worse. Every day the knot in her stomach grew tighter, and she couldn't shake the feeling, deep in her bones, that he would return on his own time, either earlier or later, but not when Kakashi expected.

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* * *

 **A/N.** I know, I know, Sakura is thwarted at every corner, isn't she? But everything comes to its proper conclusion next chapter. I hope you will all be well satisfied. :)


	8. Chapter 8

"Are you sure you don't mind?" Yoko asked, putting on a warm coat. "You just picked up Nanami and Kira's shifts last week. I feel bad to ask you to pick up mine too."

Sakura paused while flipping through her clipboard. "Really, Yoko, it's fine," she said. "Have a good time, okay?"

Yoko thanked her again and then disappeared through the main doors, letting in a cold draft from outside.

Sakura turned back into the warm hallway, getting ready to make her rounds. In the two weeks Sasuke had been gone, she cocooned herself inside the hospital walls. She strangely relished the sharp, sterile odor of the rooms. It was like a haven where she felt useful and needed and, most of all, busy.

At one o' clock in the morning, Sakura took a seat in the staff lounge. She ruffled her fingers through stale pink locks and sucked in a dry yawn. She fell into a daze listening to the flickering sound of the fluorescent overhead lights.

She made a scalding cup of tea and drank it greedily. As she finished the last burning sip, she heard a series of footsteps running down the hallway. The pager on her hip buzzed, and Sakura shot out of her seat and met two nurses in the hall.

"Lady Sakura, quick!" a nurse called, wasting no time. "Two ninja in the lobby. One's severely injured."

They sprinted to the lobby, where two hospital workers hoisted a ninja onto a gurney. Sakura acted on impulse, with the years of training under Tsunade steadying her nerves and making her calm. In an instant, she firmly scanned the ninja and his wounds, already playing over in her mind the surgery he needed.

She barked out orders, and the men turned the gurney around and steered it toward the emergency operating room. As she caught sight of the ninja's face, she froze for a half-second. A spiky brown ponytail lay against the white sheets, and the name came to her even before she set eyes on the familiar face.

Shikamaru.

All along she had been aware of the ninja's partner, standing off at a distance, holding his side in apparent discomfort. A cursory glance had been enough for her to see that his wounds were not serious. Now she turned in full to see him, eyes gazing up blood-stained fingernails, to the labored shoulders, to the worn face.

Ashen.

The word flooded her mind. Sweat dampened his forehead, and exhaustion grayed his paper white skin. He must have run all night. There was charring around his lips. The smell of fire and smoke clung to his clothes.

Sakura held onto his gaze, wide-eyed but restrained as she instructed the nurses to move him into a room for treatment. Then she turned on her heel and raced to the operating room to focus on the only person that mattered.

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Opposite her in the operating room, Dr. Sato sucked in shaky breaths. Sweat poured down his temples. His fingers, half-exposed with fading green chakra, trembled.

"I'm sorry, Lady Sakura," he said, as the chakra from his hands receded and disappeared. "It's all I've got."

"It's okay," she assured, eyes trained on the deep wound on Shikamaru's abdomen. The flesh around the opening was twisted and gnarled, as the weapon was yanked from the wound. It left a gaping hole with rippled edges. There was so much internal bleeding, it was a wonder that Shikamaru had made it to the hospital at all.

The weapon had been spiked and lodged so deeply into his abdomen that metal fragments were embedded into his organs. The surgery was intricate, as Sakura had to simultaneously monitor and stop the bleeding while also kneading her chakra through the wound, pulling out flecks of metal shrapnel.

With intense concentration, Sakura extracted the last piece, a fully intact spike about two inches long. She dropped it into the metal dish beside her with a clang. She breathed a sigh of relief now that the worst was over. As if coming out of a fog, she realized how drained she was. She pushed forward and infused chakra into his abdomen, repairing the damage and closing the wound. Her head grew heavier, and her legs weaker, as she continued.

"Lady Sakura," a nurse pleaded, "let us take it from here."

Sakura nodded and stepped away to make room at the operating table. "I'll see him in recovery afterward," she said.

She exited the operating room and trailed down the halls to find room 416. When she laid a hand on the doorknob, she entered the room clumsily with a bit too much force.

The bed was empty. But the rumpled sheets showed that Sasuke had at least been seen by a nurse. She was too tired to think about him leaving prematurely and if that bothered her or not.

It means he's fine, she thought. That's all that matters.

Later in the recovery room, she sat by Shikamaru and checked his vitals and charts. She set the clipboard down in her lap and stared at his sleeping face. A feeling sprung to mind that she struggled to put into words. There was so much in a face. So much depended on this man, on his eyes, and his smile. And she felt grateful and overwhelmed at her role in all of it.

"Temari," he groaned, still drugged with anesthesia.

Tears sprung to Sakura's eyes and rolled down her cheeks. She blinked furiously to try to stop them. When that didn't work, she swiped at her damp cheeks and took a slow, deep breath. It did nothing to soothe her constricted chest. Finally, Sakura stood up and left the room, somehow unable to look at Shikamaru without tears welling up again.

Sakura stopped short in the hallway.

Sasuke was sitting on the benches outside the recovery rooms, evidently waiting. He sprung to his feet at the sight of her, but said nothing.

Sakura looked back at Sasuke, eyes still glassy. At his silence, she wondered if her distressed appearance gave the wrong impression of Shikamaru's surgery. She tucked her hair behind her ear and tried to compose herself. "He's fine," she said, waving vaguely behind her. "Everything's fine."

Sasuke took a single step toward her. "Sakura," he said, and stopped.

"You should get some rest," Sakura replied, rushing the conversation to a close, but not quite understanding why. "I need to take care of some things."

Sasuke looked as if he wanted to say something. But in the end, only a nod.

She hastened away to her office and sat down with the terrible task of calling Temari. Even though she had good news, and Shikamaru was very lucky, she knew how upsetting it would be for Temari. The suddenness, the shock, the relief, it was a lot to take in. Not to mention the added frustration of Suna's distance. It would be thee anxious days before Temari could see him.

Sakura listened with equal emotion to Temari's cries of pain and relief.

"I don't know what to say," she said, voice breaking. "Thank you for taking care of him."

When she ended the call, Sakura sank into her chair in utter exhaustion. She folded her arms and laid her head on the table. Her eyelids throbbed with a headache. As soon as she closed her eyes, she fell soundly asleep. She woke up an hour later, blinking with confusion at the faint early morning light streaming through her blinds.

Sakura splashed her face with water and smoothed down her sleep-rumpled hair. She put on her coat and scarf, waved goodbye to the receptionist, and finally stepped outside at quarter until six o' clock, a full twenty-four hours since the beginning of her first shift.

The dark streets were just now lightening with the pale pink dawn. Sakura could see her breath come out in wispy white puffs.

"Sakura," he called.

She snapped her head to see Sasuke leaning against the building, a brown bag in hand. He pushed off and strode toward her purposefully.

"I'll walk you home," he asserted.

As he began walking in the direction of her apartment, she followed without thinking.

Then he pushed the brown bag into her hands. "Take this," he said, missing the look of displeasure that passed over her face.

Sakura opened the bag. She stared at its contents with frustration. "Dango," she said flatly.

Just as tired as Sakura, if not more so, Sasuke stared ahead, oblivious to the quickly escalating feelings burning in Sakura's gut.

"What am I supposed to do with this, Sasuke?" she spat, finally giving into the wealth of anger she had carried for two weeks.

Sasuke frowned, suspecting a trick question.

"You leave me at the festival without so much as a goodbye," she stood accusing, "and some cold dango is supposed to make it better?"

She shoved the bag right into Sasuke's chest, relishing the fleeting, offended expression of shock on his stupid face. Then to her surprise, he pushed the bag back into her arms. For the first time, she saw a full, transparent expression on his face, this time of anger and frustration.

Good, she thought.

"I went back to look for you," Sasuke snapped. "You weren't there."

"You couldn't spare a single minute to find me?"

"I had to leave—"

"It's not about the damn festival, Sasuke," she finally shouted.

He fell silent.

Sakura gestured to the space between them. "What is this?" she asked, with heavy breaths. "You and me."

He said nothing, and Sakura clenched her jaw. The perfect silence in the streets, hanging between them, made her even angrier.

She would not say it for him. After everything they had been through, damn it, she would not say it for him.

"All this time, and you can't give me an answer," she said, hating the edge of sadness to her voice, still audible beneath the fury. "I have waited for you to come home for so many years," screwing her eyes shut, "and I am tired of waiting."

She spun on her heel and stormed off, heart pounding. Every step felt like it took her a million miles away from him.

She heard his footsteps behind her, and she tried to cover up her pain with more anger. "I don't want to do this right now, Sasuke—"

His hand wrapped around her wrist and pulled it roughly, spinning her around to face him. She caught a glimpse of his face, the determined set of his jaw, the fiery eyes, before his lips crashed on hers. Warm and passionate, he let go of her wrist and snaked his arm around her waist, pulling her flush against him, so tight she could barely breathe.

Blood rushed to Sakura's face. Shocked as she was, she savored the heat and softness of his lips. She dropped the bag of dango in her distraction. She wrapped both arms around his neck, running hasty hands over his broad shoulders. She denied herself nothing and weaved her fingers through his raven locks. She tilted his head lower and stretched upward to meet his searing kiss.

They parted, short breaths mingling between them.

If Sasuke had expected this to satisfy her, it did not.

Her eyes were glassy with unshed tears and bright with fury. "When were you going to tell me?" she demanded, not losing any of her anger. Sasuke looked at her with a blank expression on his face, almost in shock, as if he couldn't understand the torrent of emotion exploding from her.

"Were you ever going to tell me?" she accused. "Or were you going to give up before you even tried?"

She stared at him in open rage, feeling her hands shake even as they remained fisted in his shirt.

"How is it that you can talk to Kakashi and not me? Had it ever occurred to you to ask what I want?"

She felt Sasuke's hand tighten on her waist in a bruising grip. She saw the sudden understanding in his eyes, as he realized what she must have overheard. He actually shook her in his frustration and, leaning in close, nearly hissed, "It's not going to be the same, Sakura." The struggle for words was written in every line on his face.

"The same as what?" she threw back breathlessly.

"The same as everyone else."

As her throat constricted painfully, a couple of tears made their way down her cheeks. She swept them away angrily. "I don't want the same!" she shouted. "How many times, how many ways, do I have to tell you—"

He caught her in another kiss, and she melted against his chest. Her arms wrapped around his shoulders again, fingers coiling around his raven locks. He groaned darkly against her lips. He kissed her deeply, and it was like she'd known this all along because in spite of everything he did, for good or bad, Sasuke was full of fire and passion. But she had fire of her own. She kissed him with abandon. A shiver ran up her spine when Sasuke's hand ghosted up her back, beneath her shirt, scalding on her bare skin.

When Sasuke finally pulled away, breathing heavy, he touched her face with calloused fingertips. He brushed away tears she didn't know were there.

"Stop crying," he admonished with warm exasperation. "You annoying woman."

Sakura let out a watery laugh, all of her anger and distress disappearing. She was suddenly exhausted, and she rested her head lightly against him. Sasuke wrapped his arm around her back. For a moment, he dropped his head down to hers and pulled her close.

His voice was a quiet rumble, barely audible even to Sakura as she stood in his embrace.

"I'll be gone a lot," he said.

"I don't care."

"I could be gone for months at a time."

"Then I'll go with you."

She looked up and met Sasuke's gaze. She stared endlessly at the complex emotions making his eyes bright and vivid. It made her breath hitch in her throat to see the affection there, and gratitude.

He rested his forehead against hers.

"Okay," he said.

She could not help the small smile blooming on her face, as she heard the agreement and acceptance in his voice. For once in her life, she didn't know what to say. Her heart was too full to say anything at all. She was glad Sasuke took her smile as an answer and leaned in to give her a chaste kiss.

Sasuke pulled away too soon. "Come on," he murmured, "you need to get some sleep."

The last thing Sakura wanted to do was break apart and feel the cold air envelop her. But they did, and Sakura looked away in embarrassment as she swiped at her damp cheeks and ran a hand through her hair. As she did so, she saw the brown bag lying on the ground, and she blushed a deep shade of red.

Sasuke snorted at her.

The previous intensity dissipated a little as she let out a jerky laugh. She snatched it up, sheepish. As they walked to her apartment, she bit into the sugary dessert. She hummed in pleasure, and Sasuke gave her a purposeful told-you-so look.

At the apartment, Sakura unlocked the door then fiddled with her keys. She looked up at him. "See you later, then?" she asked.

A soft expression. "Ah."

She stretched up to meet him in another eager kiss. He leaned forward, slowly closing the gap. Sakura closed her eyes in anticipation. Then behind her, she felt Sasuke's arm reach for the door and push it open. Her eyes flew open as he pulled away from her.

That _smirk_.

"Sasuke!" she laughed in disbelief.

As he walked off, he raised a hand in goodbye.

Sakura rolled her eyes at his retreating figure. When she closed the door behind her, she leaned into it with a tired smile playing on her lips. She went to bed blissful and spent.

.

.

.

The next day, Sasuke found her back at the hospital.

"You can't help yourself, can you," he scoffed.

She blushed at seeing him for the first time, not quite knowing how to act. "I guess not."

He asked if she wanted to go on a walk, and they left together. The stopped at a grassy hill that overlooked the Uchiha compound and sat on an old wooden bench. Sakura stared tensely at her hands folded in her lap, expecting him to take back what had happened the other day and say it was a mistake.

After a moment, Sasuke broke the silence. He angled his head stiffly away from her. "Now that you've had time to think it over," he said, with none of his usual smoothness, "have you changed your mind?"

She looked up, stunned. "No," she said. "Have you?"

He gave her a soft, sidelong look. "No."

When an affectionate smile spread on her face, Sasuke stood up and motioned for them to leave, though barely two minutes had passed.

In a way, that was their first date.

.

.

.

They didn't tell anyone.

It felt more natural that way. Sasuke was always such a private person. Whenever he was in the village, she grew accustomed to the sight of him in her office, lounging in her desk chair and waiting to walk her home. They usually cooked dinner at her apartment.

They didn't touch in public. Not so much as a hand-hold. As the months went by, she noticed Naruto's and Ino's eager stares when they saw them walking together in the village. Sakura would just smile innocently. And Sasuke, he had perfected his air of nonchalance long ago.

Even though she knew Naruto would be happy for them, she cherished this period of time. It was their little secret. She felt giddy and girlish when they would shut her front door, closing out their friends, the village, everyone. For a man of so little words, it was only right that Sasuke knew exactly how to wind his arm around her waist and press a scorching kiss against her lips. When he pulled back to look at her with an expression of love and gratitude, she didn't need any words. Something in his eyes said, it was always you.

Sometimes he returned from a mission in the middle of the night. He'd enter through her window, take off his shirt and shoes, and slip into bed with her. Cradling her back against his chest, he laid a heavy arm across her waist and drew her closer. She turned her head to utter a soft hello. With moonlight slanting into the room and falling across his face, it was quiet moments like these that made her appreciate what home felt like.

.

.

.

At the end of three months, Sakura lay in bed draped across his bare chest. She propped her chin up on her hands and said thoughtfully, "If we're going to do this, we have to tell Naruto, you know."

Sasuke grunted.

Her eyes crinkled as she inched up his chest, closer to his face. She playfully tucked his long bangs behind his ear—an act Sasuke decidedly did not like. He snapped open both eyes, his swirling Rinnegan exposed, but didn't say anything, only glared.

For as often as Sasuke teased her, she felt no qualms about placing a peck on the very corner of his mouth, another thing he didn't like. He made a face of absolute stone at her antics, and she snickered.

In three months, Sakura had discovered that she could get away with most anything as long as they were in bed together.

"How soon do you think we'll leave?" she asked. "Once Kakashi approves the request."

"Not until next week," Sasuke replied.

A slender pink eyebrow popped up. "Can the mission wait that long?"

He nodded. "I want you to see the orphanage open first."

Sakura pressed her face against his chest to hide her smile. In the end, Sasuke had decided to give the Uchiha compound to the village. He had no use for it anymore. But with some research on Sakura's part, they realized they could donate the property under specific stipulations. The village had to keep the original structures. And the property had to be set aside for the Konoha Orphanage, which had, until now, been located in a too-small building miles outside of the village. It was a worthy donation, and one that would bring his family pride.

"Why me?" she mumbled embarrassedly. "You're the one who should see it."

"You're the one who rebuilt it," he said.

Sakura raised her head.

"So you should see it."

That was something Sakura had never discussed with him. She sat up, folding her legs behind her. Her long pink hair fell over her shoulders, catching in the high collar of one of Sasuke's old shirts. "You knew this whole time," she concluded.

Sasuke snorted, again. "I can read lips at a bar, Sakura."

She let out a disbelieving laugh. "I can't believe you never mentioned it."

"You also overlooked the final bill," Sasuke criticized, looking arrogant against her bed pillows. "Half the renovation wasn't listed on there. Did you really think I wouldn't figure it out?"

Sakura felt her face grow hot. She swept a few stray hairs from her face, admitting, "I don't know what I was thinking. I just felt awkward about it."

Sasuke idly traced a little crescent-shaped scar on her knee. He regarded her for a serious moment and said, "Thank you."

She leaned down to kiss him. "You're welcome."

When her alarm sounded at seven o' clock, Sakura groaned and kicked her silken legs out of the blankets. Sasuke's shirt brushed half-way down her thighs as she reached into her dresser and pulled out a change of clothes. When she headed into the kitchen to eat breakfast and get ready for work, she heard Sasuke turn on the shower.

About fifteen minutes later, as Sakura finished her breakfast, someone pounded on her door.

Naruto, she thought with an eye roll.

She swung open the front door and chided, "You're going to wake up my neighbors, Naruto. What are you doing here so early?"

"Sakura!" he exclaimed. He shouldered his way in immediately. "I didn't think I'd catch you before work. Here, Kakashi told me to give this to you."

He pushed a scroll into her hands and then cut through her living room, plopping onto her couch with a gusty groan. "Ah, man," he sighed, closing his eyes, "this is heaven. I'm sorry, Sakura, but I just got back from a mission, and I don't think I can take another step. I just need to sit," speaking slower and softer, "or maybe take a nap."

Sakura held the scroll in anxious fingertips. She glanced at Naruto on the couch, who seemed perfectly pleased to have a moment of quiet, and hastily slid open the parchment. Her eyes widened when she saw Kakashi's seal of approval. Butterflies erupted in her stomach. She did her best to control what felt like an uncontrollable smile on her face.

"Sakura," the blond called from the couch. "I'm _starved_. Do you have any food?"

She placed the scroll on the counter and grabbed a piece of fruit. "You never change," Sakura laughed, and gave him an apple.

Sakura took a seat in the chair opposite Naruto. As he gobbled down the apple, she said, "Naruto, I need to tell you something."

He perked up immediately. "Is it about Sasuke?"

She faltered. "Well, yes. And no. Look, I need to tell you that—"

"What is the deal with you two?" he exploded, slapping his hands against his knees. "I mean, I've tried to be patient. I've tried to give you guys space. But there have been _signs_ , okay," he insinuated. "And I know there were signs because Ino agreed. But then, it's like, nothing. Nothing's happened."

Naruto was so caught up in his rambling that he didn't hear the dresser door opening and closing from within Sakura's bedroom.

He continued, "I'm sorry, Sakura, but I can't take it anymore. I have to know. What's the deal with you and Sasuke? Are you dating or not?"

Sakura opened her mouth to respond, but at that exact moment, Sasuke strolled in from the hallway of her bedroom. His hair was still glossy and damp from the shower.

"Naruto," he greeted.

The blond's mouth fell open.

Sakura did her best not to giggle behind her hand. "Sasuke," she called, "Naruto came by with a scroll from Kakashi."

Sasuke glanced at the still opened scroll on the countertop. "Ah."

"Oh my god," Naruto cut in, still reeling. "You guys _have been dating this whole time, haven't you_ ," he said, enunciating every word with utter despair and betrayal. "How could you not tell me? How could you do this to me?"

Sasuke tied up the scroll. "Sakura and I are leaving for Lightning in a week. We're not sure when we'll be back," he said matter-of-factly.

At Naruto's shocked expression, Sakura added helpfully, "That's what the scroll from Kakashi was. I had to request permission and make sure the hospital would be covered without me. And apparently," smiling, "he said yes."

"Next _week_?" Naruto echoed. "I can't believe this. I can't believe you guys kept this a secret."

Sasuke walked to the front door and looked over his shoulder at Sakura. "See you tonight," he said, and left.

"—I mean, I'm kind of hurt, I'm not going to lie," Naruto continued, uninterrupted during the entire exchange. "But man, oh man, do I tell Ino first? Or do I tell Hinata? I mean, Hinata is my wife and all, but Ino would be really psyched—"

.

.

.

When it was time for her and Sasuke to leave for his mission, they walked together to the gates. It was springtime now, with the sakura trees nearly in full bloom.

The brisk morning air blew through Sasuke's bangs, baring his swirling left eye. Whenever she glimpsed the Rinnegan, she remembered that Sasuke was an important person, not just to her, but to the village. If anything developed with Kaguya or White Zetsu, the entire ninja world needed a person like Sasuke with his skills.

And she knew that one day, it might take them to places she hadn't imagined. At times it might even take them apart. But to love him was worth it. And no matter what came in the future, she was proud to love a man like Sasuke.

He had a peaceful expression in his eyes as he asked, "Ready?"

A quick upturn to her mouth, and—

"I'm ready."

.

.

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* * *

 **A/N.** I hope you all gave out a sigh of contentment when you finally reached the end. :)

It was my personal goal to make Sasuke _speak_ in this fanfic haha. He talks a lot more in the anime/manga than people give him credit for. So while I do believe there's an unspoken, unsaid element to their relationship – they're still married, for goodness' sake. They do have to talk to each other, and enjoy it. I imagine them fairly playful. You get a glimpse of that in _Boruto_ when Sasuke leaves without a giving Sakura a goodbye kiss, and then smirks about it haha.

I'm marking the story as "complete" since we've reached the end of my original fic. However, I'm still planning to upload a bonus chapter for Sasuke. It might even be two chapters! I'm not sure when I'll be ready to upload, but just know that I am definitely working on it. Until then! :)


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